Deuteronomy as Theology

Deuteronomy

The theological significance of Deuteronomy can scarcely be overestimated. Inasmuch as this book offers the most systematic presentation of truth in the entire OT, we may compare it to Romans in the NT. Moses has nearly four decades to reflect on the exodus from Egypt and YHWH’s establishment of a covenant relationship with Israel. Deuteronomy functions as a theological manifesto, calling Israel to respond to God’s grace with unreserved loyalty and love.

Historical Considerations

In the 3rd century BCE the Septuagint translators set the course for the history of Deuteronomy’s interpretation. Instead of translating the title of the book (D’varium in Hebrew) as “To biblion ton Logon” (“The Book of Words”)…they replaced this with “To Deuteronomion” (“Second Law”). The form of the name seems to be derived from Deut.17:18, where the phrase “mishneh hattorah” (“a copy of the Torah”) is misinterpreted as “deutero-nomion” (or, “second law.”) The name Deuteronomy overlooks the fact that the book presents itself not primarily as law but as a series of sermons. Where laws are dealt with (i.e., central sanctuary law in ch.12), the presentation is often exposition rather than recital of the law themselves.

Insofar as the early church used Deuteronomy, on the one hand fathers and other spiritual leaders tended to follow Paul’s christological lead, but in application of the laws often resorted to spiritualizing the details. For instance, the Shema was treated mostly as a defense of trinitarian doctrine, missing the original contextual meaning of the passage. So, if all we walk away from the Shema with is justification for the Trinity, we’ve really missed Deuteronomy’s point.

Hearing Deuteronomy’s Message

Sadly, much of the theology in the church today can be quite dismissive of the OT, especially books of the “Law.” As such, the message of the Bible’s fifth book has been largely lost. This is a tragedy, not only because — more than any other OT book — the message of Deuteronomy lies right on the surface, but also because few OT books proclaim such a relevant word.

First, its important to “hear” Deuteronomy. Moses appeals to the people to “hear” the proclaimed word, especially at significant junctures (Deut.5:1; 6:3-4; 9:1; 20:3). He also charges the priest to read the transcribed torah before the people every seven years at the Feast of Booths (Deut.31:9-13). This links the critical need to hear the word of the torah in the future as it is necessary for the life of the people of God. There is a chain of events that develops from hearing:

Reading —> Hearing —> Learning —> Fear —> Obedience —> Life

Further, a similar relationship between reading/hearing the words of the “this torah” and the future of Israel is expressed in Deut.17:19. Here, Moses charges future kings to read the word so that they may embody the covenant faithfulness he has laid out on the plains of Moab.

Second, to hear the message of Deut., we must recognize how it is written. It seems the text is a narrative with lengthy, embedded speeches.

Recognition of the fundamentally covenantal character of Deuteronomy has extremely significant implications. YHWH is the divine ruler, who graciously chose the patriarchs and their descendants as His covenant partner (Deut.4:37; 7:6-8). He demonstrated His commitment/love by rescuing them from Egypt (Deut.4:32-40), entering into an eternal covenant relationship with them at Sinai (Deut.4:9-32), revealing His will (Deut.4:1-8), and providentially caring for them in the desert (Deut.1:9-3:29). He is now about to deliver the promised land into their hands (Deut.1:6-8; 7:1-26). As a true prophet of YHWH, Moses challenges Israel to respond by declaring that YHWH alone is its God (Deut.6:4), and by demonstrating unwavering love for Him through obedience (Deut.6:5-19; 10:12-11:1, etc.). Moses realistically anticipates Israel’s future rebellion, leading ultimately to banishment from the land. Yet, YHWH’s compassion and the irrevocable nature of His covenant mean that exile and dispersion among the nations cannot be the last word; YHWH will bring them back to Himself and to the land (Deut.4:26-31; 30:1-10). Indeed, Moses perceives the covenant that he is having them renew with YHWH as an extension of Sinai (Deut.29:1), and ultimately an extension and fulfillment of the covenant made with the ancestors (Deut.29:10-13).

At a third level, Deut. presents itself as a series of addresses by Moses to Israel immediately before their entrance into Canaan and his own death. The narrative preamble (Deut.1:1-5) determine how we hear the message of the book. Contrary to popular opinion, Deut. does not present itself as legislation. Rather, this is prophetic preaching at its finest. The preamble identifies Moses’ words as “this torah.” The word torah should be primarily understood not as “law” (for the book includes must that is not legal), but as “instruction,” similar to the Greek word didache which meant teaching or instruction. The word torah is derived from the verb yarah which means “to teach.” The point is emphasized by strong rhetorical appeals throughout and a fundamental concern for righteousness rather than mere legal conformity. In his addresses, Moses sought to instill deep gratitude in the generation that was about to claim the promised land. At the same time he guided them in applying the covenant made at Sinai to the new situation on Jordan’s opposite side. Yes, the Canaanites would make a formidable foe, but the spiritual threat for Israel was greater. So, throughout the book emphasis is constantly on single devotion to YHWH alone, demonstrated in grateful obedience.

How should we read Deut. as Christians?

Remember that the book is an ancient Near Eastern document that addresses issues current to a people a thousand years before Christ, composed mostly ethnic descendants from the patriarchs.

Recognize the book as a deposit of eternal truth. Some of these are explicitly stated and do not require much thought — Deut.4:35, 39. Some require us to dig beneath the statement and find the theological principle — Deut.22:8 — where the heart of the matter is showing love to one’s neighbor. Unless the NT explicitly declares a Deuteronomic ordinance passe’, we should assume minimally that the principle underlying the command remains valid.

Finally, once the passage is understood in context, we must reflect on it in light of Christ who is the fulfillment of the law.

Deuteronomy as Theology

As an overall theme to Deuteronomy, consider the following: it is a call to Israel for faithfulness in the land, in response to the grace YHWH has lavished on them (Deut.6:20-25). Israel’s history begins and ends with YHWH. Think about the following instructions:

God’s absolute uniqueness (Deut.4:32-39; 6:4; 10:17; 32:39; 33:26)

His eternality (Deut.33:27)

His transcendence (Deut.7:21; 10:17; 32:3)

His holiness (Deut.32:51)

His justice and righteousness (Deut.32:4)

His passion (jealousy) for His covenant and relationship with His people (Deut.4:24; 5:9; 6:15; 9:3; 32:21)

His faithfulness (Deut.7:9)

His presence (Deut.1:45; 4:7; 6:15; 7:21; 31:17)

His compassion (Deut.4:31)

and especially His covenant love (Deut.4:31; 7:7-8, 13; 10:15, 18; 23:5)

But, none of these characteristics are abstract. They’re all experienced in the context of YHWH’s relationship with His people, which seems to be why Moses never got tired of talking about God’s grace — expressed in numerous concrete actions toward Israel, such as:

Choosing Abraham and his descendants (Deut.4:37; 7:6)

Rescuing Israel from Egyptian bondage (Deut.4:9-31; 5:1-22; 26:16-19)

Providential care (Deut.1:30-33; 8:15-16)

Provision of a homeland (Deut.6:10-15; 8:7-14)

Provision of leadership (Deut.16:18-18:22)

And victory over their enemies (Deut.7:17-24)

Second, Deut. offers a comprehensive picture of the community of faith. The people that stand before Moses consists largely of the direct descendants of Abraham and the first-generation offspring of those who had experienced the exodus from Egypt. God’s divine calling/choosing of Israel plays a significant role in the book. YHWH divinely chooses the place for His name to be established, where Israel is invited to worship. It tells of the divine choice of Israel’s king (Deut.17:15), whose primary function is to embody covenant righteousness, and of the Levitical priests (Deut.18:5; 21:5), who were to promote righteousness. Even God’s calling on Israel was rooted solely in grace, not based on exceptional physical nor spiritual attributes. It was all an act of grace, founded upon God’s love for their ancestors (Deut.4:32-38) and in His inexplicable love for their descendants (Deut.7:6-8). Israel is indeed a privileged people. They alone have experienced the saving hand of YHWH (Deut.4:32-40), have participated in a covenant ceremony (Deut.4:9-31), and enjoy a vital communion with Him. Because of this, He hears them whenever they cry out, but in an unprecedented at of revelationHe also has made His will known to them (Deut.4:1-8; 6:20-25). Their standing with God is characterized directly as that of covenant partners (Deut.26:16-19) and a holy people belonging to Him alone (Deut.7:6; 14:2; 26:19; 28:9). Yet, even though YHWH calls the nation Israel to covenant relationship, the true community of faith consists of persons who love YHWH with their entire being, demonstrating that love through righteousness (Deut.6:25), which includes denouncing all other gods and compassionately pursuing justice towards others (Deut.10:16-20).

Third, no other book int eh OT presents as thorough a treatment of covenant relationship as Deut. Moses propounds an exposition of the covenant to which the present generation binds itself (Deut.26:16-19). Chapters 29-30 do not envision a new covenant, but the present generation’s recommitment to and extension of the old. It is within the context of covenant relationship that we must understand the role of the law. Obedience is stressed with the covenant relationship:

Obedience was not a burden but a response to the unique privilege of knowing God’s will (Deut.4:6-8), in contrast to the nations who worshiped gods of wood and stone (Deut.4:28).

Obedience is not a way to be saved, but the grateful response of those who have been saved (Deut.6:20-25).

Obedience is not primarily a duty imposed by one party on another, but an expression of covenant relationship (Deut.26:16-19).

Obedience is the external evidence of the circumcision of one’s heart and the internal disposition of fearing God (Deut.10:12-11:1; 30:6-9).

Obedience involves a willing subordination of one’s entire being to the authority of the gracious divine ruler (Deut.6:4-9; 10:12-13).

While obedience is not the prerequisite to salvation, it is the evidence of righteousness, which is a precondition to Israel’s fulfillment of her mission and blessing (Deut.4:24-25; chs.11, 28).

Obedience is both reasonable and achievable (Deut.30:11-20). A deeper dive, since the book assumes Israel’s failure here.

There is a frequent shift between singular and plural pronouns throughout the book, proving to be a rhetorical device (similar to us saying, “Y’all…but as for you.”) Ultimately, total fidelity is not a national possibility and must be demonstrated on the personal level.

This dual usage also realizes the existence of physical Israel and spiritual Israel (a concept Paul espouses in Romans). While all of Israel is physical Israel, there is certainly a distinction between the likes of the rebellious spies, kings, and even prophets (like Jonah!) and the faithful remnant who serve God whole-hearted, like Moses, Joshua and Caleb (and, yes, they are all with fault, but the certainly model devotion to God, even when we consider their moments of rebellion).

Fourth, Deut. presents a highly developed theology of the land. Briefly, the land currently possessed by the Canaanites but set aside for Israel, would be the special object of YHWH’s continual care. It is given to Israel in fulfillment to His promise to their ancestors, and it is not given to Israel because they have earned it, but because God is gracious (Deut.9:1-24). The land itself will respond to Israel’s fidelity; if they are faithful, the land will produce (Deut.7:11-16; 11:8-15; 28:1-14), but if they are unfaithful, the land will not produce its bounty (Deut.4:25-28; 8:17-20; 11:16-17; 28:15-26).

Conclusion

As with Israel, access to the promises of God remain a “faith alone by grace alone” matter. However, having been called, redeemed, and granted covenant relationship with God, YHWH’s people will gladly demonstrate wholehearted allegiance with whole bodied obedience (Rom.12:1-12). Deuteronomy remains an invaluable resource for biblical understanding 1.) of God, especially His grace in redeeming those bound in sin; 2.) of appropriate response to God, entailing love for God and for our fellow man; and 3.) of the sure destiny of the redeemed. More than any other book in the OT (if not the Bible!)Deuteronomy provides concrete calling for faith in real life.

The importance of Deuteronomy is that it makes clear that the law was never intended to be a mechanical list of inflexible rules. Rather, it provides entry into the whole matter of true piety and genuine morality. It shows the essence of an appropriate approach to God and what is entailed in an appropriate treatment of and relationship to one’s neighbor.