It’s all Deuteronomy this week, Chronos!
I hope you're having a good week. Essentially, this week's reading is more of the same. Hang on, though; we cross the Jordan River in just a couple of days! Have you seen any little gems buried in these passages? Let me know and I'll share them with the group.
Also, some Q&A below the line this week.
Deuteronomy, by the way, is the book most quoted by Jesus ... something to think about.
Blessings,
Steve
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We are reading The One Year Chronological Bible (New Living Translation). The best way is with your own copy of this Bible translation. Or, copy and paste this link to the daily reading schedule:
http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/readingplan/oneyearchronologicalbiblereadingplan.pdf
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A Few Key Points
March 12-16: Farewell Tour Continues ...
Moses continues to remind the Israelites of their commitment to God and God's commitment to them. He recounts their journey from Egypt up to now, the eve of entering the Promised Land, and reiterates all the laws, commandments, and decrees (dealing with a rebellious son, sexual purity, rights of the first born, how to worship, unsolved murders, war regulations, justice).
March 14 - Deuteronomy 9:4-6
A glimpse into how seriously God takes His commitments ... worth a read and to think on for a bit.
March 16 - Deuteronomy 15:12-18
The Law requires the release of all Hebrew (Jewish) slaves every seventh year ... BUT, there's a surprise buried in here. If you've heard the song, "Pierce My Ear," this section is what it references: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4IMIqORFq0
March 17 - Deuteronomy 17:2-6
Talks of the need for two or more witnesses to testify against a person accused of violating God's commands. It includes this requirement: "The witnesses must throw the first stones...." We see echoes of this when Jesus says, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" to those who have accused the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). Two or more people would have had to step forward and identify themselves as having witnessed the adultery ... something that might have been difficult to explain. This “casting of the first stone” also plays a role in Shirley Jackson's famous short-story, "The Lottery."
March 17 - Deuteronomy 19:1-13
The Cities of Refuge are worth slowing down to take in. Compare them to the United States’ use of “innocent until proven guilty” as the cornerstone of our justice system.
March 18 - a collection of regulations aimed at improving worship and life.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS!
This is where I attempt to answer the questions you have sent me.
Q1: In general what is a good reply to people today who say the Ten Commandments are not relevant today?
A: I would quote Jesus to them.
The 10 Commandments have not gone away; rather, we experience them in a different way. For example, the requirement to keep the Sabbath. Its purpose was ALWAYS for us to rest and regenerate for the coming week. It was never about the legalistic nightmare it had turned into by the time Jesus entered his ministry years: “One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he (Jesus) said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”” (Mark 2:23-28 NIV) http://bible.com/111/mrk.2.23-28.niv
As to the entirety of the 10 Commandments, they're all still with us:
“Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”” (Matthew 22:34-40 NIV). http://bible.com/111/mat.22.34-40.niv
Q2: Could you explain what is meant by stiff-necked people in Deuteronomy 9:6?
A: This phrase is an agricultural one. It refers to draft animals; horses, donkeys, oxen. Some animals would not bend their necks to accept the bridle or the yolk, even to the point of turning their heads away whenever someone tried to place them under control. This is what God means when he calls the Israelites a "stiff-necked people" in Deuteronomy 9:6 (and elsewhere, too): they refuse to accept God's kingship over them, refuse to follow His commands, resisting even at the earliest point in the process. In short, they refuse to "get into harness" for the work that lies ahead of them. Jesus also references this when he declares that His “yoke is easy” and “burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Q3: What about slaves among (or near) the Israelites?
Sadly, slavery was common in ancient times (not just in Israel). Broadly, there were three groups.
(1) Conquered peoples: the empire du jour needed workers (to build pyramids, etc.); conquered peoples filled the bill. These people had no freedom, we’re considered commodities (like cattle), and likely remained slaves (until/unless someone freed them).
(2) Some were hired servants whose existence wasn’t especially different from slaves (due to economics); but, technically, they could quit and move on. Often, these folk elected to remain in servitude because basic needs were supplied by their employers.
(3) Then there were Jewish slaves of Jewish masters. They were, sad to say, quite common in Jewish communities. This was an elective state; that is, entire families of Jews would choose slavery over say, starvation. The typical scenario went something like this: through some misfortune or poor choices, a Jewish family would become impoverished. Sometimes, a sibling or cousin might help them through to a better time. More often, the patriarch of the family would “sell” himself and his family into slavery to a Jewish master.
I call them “Jubilee Slaves.”
Under the Law of Moses, Jubilee Slaves had to be freed every 7th year. However, at this juncture, a Jewish slave could request to remain a slave by pledging an oath to the master. This was a personal decision, not one a family patriarch could impose of his wife and children. Each person had to elect this him/herself. We see this kind of commitment reflected in Paul’s letters when he describes himself as a slave to Christ; an elective state where he committed himself to serve Jesus from then on.
Also (a few thousand years later), the “oath of fealty” made by knights (and others) to the King was based on this choosing to serve a master to the exclusion of all others.
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