Our Mission: A disciple-making church that transforms lives with the gospel and love of Jesus Christ. DISCIPLESHIP SEMINARS PRESENTS Deuteronomy MODULE: LORD, HOW I LOVE YOUR TORAH! (OT101)
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Introduction & Objective
Introduction If you had all the time in the world, how would you use that time? Psalm 119:97 Oh how I love your law ה) ; ת ור TORAH)! It is my meditation all the day. 4
Objective Goal today: More than just understanding TORAH, but to help us LOVE the TORAH, particularly Deuteronomy 5
The Name of the Book
The Name of the Book Its important for us to know that the name Deuteronomy is not Hebrew, but actually Greek. It s a legacy name inherited from the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the OT 7
The Name of the Book Comes from the two words: Deuteros - Second Nomos Law It gives us a glimpse into the minds of the LXX translators, who thought of Deuteronomy as a Second Law 8
The Name of the Book However, the Hebrew name that is used for the book is actually These are the words This comes from Deuteronomy 1:1 These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness in the Arabah opposite Suph, (Deut 1:1) 9
The Name of the Book Part of the thing we want to address in this class is this: are Deuteronomy merely laws? Perhaps, that is why we struggle to LOVE the Torah. Laws can be really hard to love. Imagine: Oh how, I love Central Provident Fund Amendment Act 10
Why we don t Read Deuteronomy
Why we don t Read Deuteronomy To help us understand a few reasons why we don t read it: (1) We think reading the law is not important Wrong dichotomy of Grace vs. Law in approaching Old Testament Forgets that Torah is more than just Law ; formative properties for a being 12
Why we don t Read Deuteronomy (2) Deuteronomy can be awkward One example: Deut 25:11-12 Things such as this make us grimace, silently say: Is this really God s word? Solution: Context can really help 13
Why we don t Read Deuteronomy (2) Deuteronomy can be awkward (cont d) Levirate Marriage in Deuteronomy concerned with ensuring PROGENY 14
Why we don t Read Deuteronomy (3) We fail to grasp the preciousness of Deuteronomy Deuteronomy is a special book in its Ancient Near East context (more on this later ): - For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it? But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. (Deut 30:11-14) 15
Why we should Read Deuteronomy
Why we should Read Deuteronomy Deuteronomy is a book relating to us about the journey in the wilderness which is coming to an end Here we compare and contrast Israel and Jesus experience in the wilderness, and we will see why Deuteronomy is so IMPORTANT 17
Why we should Read Deuteronomy In the wilderness, Israel grumbled about food. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. (Ex. 16:2-3) 18
Why we should Read Deuteronomy In the wilderness, instead of grumbling about food, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. 19
Why we should Read Deuteronomy In the wilderness, Israel put God to test at Massah And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, Is the Lord among us or not? 20
Why we should Read Deuteronomy In the wilderness, instead of putting God to test, Jesus again quotes Deuteronomy, this time from 6:16: You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. 21
Why we should Read Deuteronomy In the wilderness, Israel made themselves a golden calf to worship And he (Aaron) received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt! (Exodus 32:4) 22
Why we should Read Deuteronomy In the wilderness, Jesus rejects the Devil s invitation to worship him and quotes Deuteronomy! It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. (Deuteronomy 6:13) 23
Why we should Read Deuteronomy How are you doing in your journey in the wilderness? Grumbling? Testing? Idolizing? Perhaps Deuteronomy might be good for you? 24
Why we should Read Deuteronomy The Greatest Commandment in the New Testament? In fact, when Jesus was asked, what is the greatest commandment in Mark 12, Jesus first replies: Shema Yisrael, YHWH Eloheinu, YHWH Echad (Hear Israel, YHWH your God, YHWH is One) Deut 6:4 25
Why we should Read Deuteronomy Hearing + Loving God = One single commandment If so, perhaps These are the words is a better name for the book? 26
Deuteronomy: Covenant Making
Deuteronomy: Covenant Making Scholars who have studied Ancient Near Eastern Covenantal Documents have found remarkable similarity between Deuteronomy and the surrounding culture s covenant-making practices 28
Deuteronomy: Covenant Making The closes thing we have to a covenant today would be a contract. However, scholars recognize that the Ancient Near Eastern covenants always have a certain structure. The main ones being: (1) Preamble (2) Historical Prologue (3) Stipulations (4) Document Storage (5) Witnesses (6) Curses and Blessings 29
Deuteronomy: Covenant Making Most of the following examples, compares Hittite covenants with Deuteronomy. They are mostly from Rene Lopez s wonderful work Israelite Covenants in the Light of Ancient Near Eastern Covenants These Hittite covenants are usually between a more powerful king, and a vassal 30
Deuteronomy: Covenant Making Who are the Hittites? Biblical mentions: - Uriah the Hittite - Burial place for Sarah: And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury me dead out of my sight. (Gen 23:3) 31
Deuteronomy: Covenant Making (1) Preamble: Example of a Hittite document between Muršilis, a Hittite king and Duppi-Tešub: - These are the words of the Sun Muršilis, the great king, the king of the Hatti land, the valiant, the favorite of the Storm-god, the son of Šuppiluliumas, the great king, the king of the Hatti land, the valiant. 32
Deuteronomy: Covenant Making (1) Preamble: Deuteronomy version: - These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel saying, The LORD our God said to us in Horeb (Deut 1:1-5) 33
Deuteronomy: Covenant-Making (2) Historical Prologue: Hittite Treaty between Tudhaliya and Šaušgamuwa: - I, My Majesty, [have taken you], Šaušgamuwa, [by the hand and] have made [you (my)] brother-inlaw.... [In the past] the land of Amurru had not been defeated by force of arms of the land of Hatti.... Protect My Majesty as overlord,... Because I have made you, Šaušgamuwa, (my) brother-in-law, protect my majesty as overlord 34
Deuteronomy: Covenant-Making (2) Historical Prologue: Deuteronomy Version 1:6 4:40 - Includes Israel s rebellion - See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them. (Deut 1:8) 35
Deuteronomy: Covenant-Making (3) Stipulations: Specific obligations by the vassal to the king Medenhall summarizes: - They include typically, a. the prohibition of other foreign relationships outside the Hittite Empire; b. prohibition of any enmity against anything under sovereignty of the great king.... c. The vassal must answer any calls to arms sent him by the king.... d. The vassal must hold lasting and unlimited trust in the King.... e. The vassal must not give asylum to refugees from any source.... f. The vassal must appear before the Hittite king once a year.... g. Controversies between vassals are unconditionally to be submitted to the king for judgment.37 36
Deuteronomy: Covenant-Making (3) Stipulations Muršilis tells Duppi-Tešub to deliver 300 shekels of gold as his father and grandfather has done - When I, My Majesty, took care of you according to the word of your father, I have made you swear an oath to the king of Hatti,... You, Duppi-Tešub,... The tribute which was imposed upon your grandfather and upon your father they delivered 300 shekels of refined you shall deliver likewise. Do not turn your eyes towards another (land)! Your ancestors paid tribute to Egypt, [but] you [should not pay tribute to Egypt because E]gypt has become an enemy [...] 37
Deuteronomy: Covenant-Making (3) Stipulations: We can conceive the Ten Commandments of Deuteronomy 5 as Stipulations: Following the I-am-YHWH you-shall-not formula 38
Deuteronomy: Covenant-Making (4) Document Storage Indicates where the a copy of the covenants are to be stored Usually before the gods(idols) of both parties 39
Deuteronomy: Covenant-Making (4) Document Storage Treaty between Šuppiluliumas and Mattiwaza of Mitanni - A duplicate of this tablet has been deposited before the Sun-goddess of Arinna, because the Sungoddess of Arinna regulates kingship and queenship. In the Mitanni land (a duplicate) has been deposited before Tessub, the lord of the kurinnu [a kind of shrine] of Kahat. At regular intervals shall they read it in the presence of the king of the Mitanni land and in the presence of the sons of the Hurri country. 40
Deuteronomy: Covenant-Making (4) Document Storage Deuteronomic version: - When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book to the very end, Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that it may be there for a witness against you. (Deut 31:24-26) 41
Deuteronomy: Covenant-Making (5) Witnesses of the Gods Ancient Near East type: - The Thousand Gods (official name for all the Hittite Gods) have now been called to assembly for (attesting the contents of) of this treaty tablet that I have just executed for you. Let them see, hear, and be witnesses thereto the sun-god of heaven, the sun-goddess of Arinna, the storm-god of heaven.... If you, Kurunta, fail to comply with these treaty clauses, and do not remain loyal to My Majesty.... then may these oath-deities destroy you together with your posterity. But if you, Kurunta, take to heart the words of this tablet.... then may these same deities take good care of you, and may you grow old under the protection of My Majesty.... Whoever causes trouble for him and takes something away from him may these oath-deities destroy together with that man s posterity. 42
Deuteronomy: Covenant-Making (5) Witnesses of the Gods In this section, Israel s covenant differs completely For example, the witness is a song: Deuteronomy 31:30 32:47 Or heavens/earth I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. (Deut 30:19) 43
Deuteronomy: Covenant-Making (6) Blessings and Curses - [Sun-god of Heaven, Sun-goddess] of Arinna, Storm-god of Heaven, Storm-god of Hatti, [Seri (and) Hu]ri,... Let them be witnesses this treaty and to the oath! All the words of the treaty and the oath which are written on this tablet if Duppi-Tešub [does not keep these] words of the treaty and of the oath, then let these oath gods destroy Duppi-Tešub together with his head, his wife, his son, his grandson, his house, his city, his land and together with his possessions.but if Duppi-Tešub observes these words of the treaty and of the oath which are written on this tablet, let these oath gods protect Duppi-Tešub together with his head, his wife, his son, his grandson, his city, his land, your (!) house, your (!) subjects [and together with his possessions!]. 44
Deuteronomy: Covenant-Making (6) Blessings and Curses - Deuteronomy 28:3-13 (Blessings) and 28:14-33 (Curses) 45
Why Deuteronomy is Better
Why Deuteronomy is Better This Section, I will show to us why Deuteronomy, is better than its Ancient Near Eastern Counterparts: (1) Gods are only Witnesses; they do not make Covenants (2) Covenants between Strangers/Humans versus Father-Son relationship of YHWH- Israel 47
Why Deuteronomy is Better (1) Gods are only Witnesses; they do not make Covenants Notice all the Hittite covenants, are human-human covenants? Deuteronomy instead is a Divine-Human Covenant! - In ancient Near Eastern treaties gods were witnesses, but never parties to the covenants. Uniquely, the Israelites have a covenant with their God. Rogers sees this element as fundamental to understanding Israelite covenants: It is obvious that Israel s covenants with God are so much different because the surrounding nations had no covenants with the gods. (R.Lopez) 48
Why Deuteronomy is Better A disillusioned Hittite and an Israelite have a conversation: Disillusioned Hittite: You re new to this area Israelite: Yes, I am. My God has made a covenant with my forefathers that we are to be in this land. Disillusioned Hittite: A covenant-making god? What a preposterous idea. Why would a god want to be involved in these useless covenants anyway? Israelite: Why do you say that? Our God has promised us blessing if we follow His covenant and curses if we don t Disillusioned Hittite: Hah! The gods! Covenants have been made and broken around this area like nobody s business. The gods who are supposed to carry out these curse on the covenant breakers well they have done nothing. As far as I am concerned you don t need to care about the gods nor this covenant. Whoever your god is, none of the curses will happen to you. Israelite: I am not so sure about that 49
Why Deuteronomy is Better (2) Covenants between Strangers/Humans versus Father-Son relationship of YHWH Israel While Deuteronomy has a covenant structure, it is far more than just a covenant between strangers You are the sons of the LORD your God. (Deut 14:1) 50
Why Deuteronomy is Better A disillusioned Hittite and an Israelite have a conversation (part 2): Israel: Why are you disillusioned? Disillusioned Hittite: You would be if you lived under a king who takes your horses and daughters for himself! The nation fears him because he is the son of the Storm God. Haha! Say how is life under your king? Israel: We do not have one. In fact, we are all sons of YHWH. He is a Father to us all Disillusioned Hittite: Does that make all of you kings? You can t all be kings! Israel: When we do have a king, he will simply be one among many brothers (Deut 17:15). Indeed, his heart is not meant to be lifted above ours. Disillusioned Hittite: Brothers?? With our king? He d do us all a favour if he stopped taking our horses and our daughters for himself! 51
Summary and Application
Summary Deuteronomy has been observed to have a Covenant Structure Easily recognizable by the Ancient Near East, but less so by us as we are not familiar with this type of literature 53
Application How does this change us? (1) Realize that what we are seeing here is a God making covenant with his people A privilege that the surrounding nations did not enjoy How about us? 54
Application Covenants are live after the stipulations are decreed Usually accompanied by a SACRIFICIAL RITUAL/MEAL We too, enjoy, this privilege. Jesus comes to make a Covenant with us, institutes the Lord Supper, with Himself as the Sacrifice This cup that is poured out for you, is the new covenant in my blood. (Luke 22:20) 55
Application BUT, is this new covenant, new? The new covenant maintains an interest in the TORAH. Therefore it is accurate to say the new covenant seeks to apply the old but in new ways Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah I will put my TORAH within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33) 56
Application In fact, Jesus is consistently drawing us back to the heart of the TORAH If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. (Luke 6:32-35) Side point: Blessings/Curses in Luke 6 57
Application (2) Living as People of the Covenant Covenants are not just made, they contain instructions for Israel, as to how to live More on this next week: People of The Covenant 58
References R. Lopez, Israelite Covenants in the Light of Ancient Near Eastern Covenants (Part 1of 2), CTS Journal 9 (Fall 2003) R. Lopez, Israelite Covenants in the Light of Ancient Near Eastern Covenants (Part 2 of 2), CTS Journal 10 (Spring 2004) G. McConville, Deuteronomy, Apollos Old Testament Commentary 59