Deuteronomy: Covenant Renewal

Facing Change: u Promise  Possession u Testing  Resting u Transientness  Permanence u Space  Place

Is where you dwell important? u Does the “where” question effect behavior and destiny?

Land Concept u Not Merit Dt. 9:5 u Not Effort Dt. 6:10-11 u Promised Land: Dt. 6:10 u Promise --> fathers; u Possession --> descendants u Participating in a tradition

Land Concept (cont.) u Land as Gift: Dt. 6:10-11 u God’s choosing, loving and making them special Dt. 7:7f u Good land –Flowing with milk and honey: Dt. 6:3 –Filled land: Dt. 8:7-10 –Satisfying land Dt. 8:10-12 u Land of God’s presence: Deut 12:5

Major Problems: u Forgetting where you came from: Deut 8:10f u On remembering: –House of bondage Dt 5:6; 6:12 –Remember you were slaves Dt 15:15 –Remember God’s deliverance with a mighty hand and out stretched arm (Dt 4:39) u Remembering as basis of praise (Deut 8:10f)

Reflection Question u Where do you dwell? u Do you remember? (Praise...?) u How do you experience the presence of God in the where of which you live?

Moses and Deuteronomy u Deut. as covenant renewal u JEDP theory again: –J = Jehovah document (850 BC) –E = Elohim document (750 BC) –D = Deuteronomy (620 BC) –P = Priestly writer (450 BC) u Josiah finds (writes?) the book of the law (2 Chr 34:33)

Hittite Treaties (1200 BC) u Preamble (title) u Historical Prologue u Stipulations u Witnesses u Blessings and cursings

Assyrian Treaties (700 BC)

u Hittite Assyrian Preamble (title) X X u Historical Prologue X 0 u Stipulations X X u Witnesses X X u Blessings X 0 u Cursings X X loyalty/trust fear

Deuteronomy & Treaty Form u Preamble: Deut 1:1-5 u Historical Prologue: 1:6-3:29 u Stipulations (Dt 4:1-11:32) –General (Dt 4:1-11:32) –Specific (Dt 12-26) u Witnesses (Dt 27:2-4) u Curses and Blessings (Dt 28)

General Stipulations u The Ten Words (Deut 5) –BIG LC SPAMS u Shema (Deut 6:4)

Specific Stipulations: Institutions in Israel u Prophets (Deut 13:1ff; 18:17ff) u Judges (Deut 16:18) –Cities of Refuge (Deut 19:2) u Kings (Deut 17:14-19)—like the nations –Not to --- –To do -- u Priests & Levites: no land (Deut 18:2f)

How do you go from “then” to “now” u On women wearing pants: Deut 22:5 u Principle of differentiation u Real issue u Does culture impact God’s law? –Cf. king laws Deut 17:16f

Christ’s view of law u Not come to destroy it (Matt 5:17f) u Uses it to defend himself against Satan (Matt 4) u Greatest command (Matt 22:37f) u Permanence of law (Lk 16:17) u Separation from Pharisaic misinterpretation of the law (you have heard it said, but I say...)

Paul’s view of law u Is Paul opposed to the law? (Gal 5:4) u Condemnatory nature of law (Gal. 3:10f) u Never justified by law (Gal 2:16; Rom 4:3) u Holy and good (Rom 7:12) u Pedagogical function: Gal 3:24 to bring us to Christ

What still stands u Civil, ceremonial and moral division (?) u Universal Principles: care for poor –Love God, be holy u Cultural re-particularization: no Baal, sacrifices, clean/unclean, altars built u Key: Underlying principle u Sermon on Mount as model: into the heart u Accommodation: Hardness of your heart: Mat 19:8, u Canonical continuity or clashing (e.g. dietary laws; Acts 15)

Is law good or bad? Bad if... u Legalism u Security in performance u Externalization of religion u Condemnatory of others u Pride u Earning salvation

Is grace good or bad? Bad if... u Leads to license u Can do anything and I’ll be forgiven u Devaluing of sin u Entitlement – I deserve it

Laws that rattle our bones u War laws: –Building home exemption: Dt 20:4ff –Marriage exemption Dt 20:7 –Give peace a chance Dt 20:10 –Herem? Dt 20:17f; 7:2 Complete destruction –Yet plunder (20:14) of non-combatants 7:3 how to intermarry if completely destroyed

Laws that rattle our bones (cont) u Rape laws (Deut 22:23ff)—city/field u Death penalty –False prophet (Dt 13:10f) –Idolater (Dt 18:2f) –Rebellious son (Dt 21:18f) –Non-virgin that marries (Dt 22:20f)? u Law as values signal not just moral/ legal code

Laws that rattle our bones (cont) u Dismemberment punishments: Deut 25:11-12 u Polygamy laws? (Deut 21:15) u Slavery laws? (Deut 15:12ff) u Animal treatment laws (Deut 22:10; 25:4)

Law and Culture: Final Questions u The church is not Israel (nation): u What are the differences? u Underlying principle is key u What is the relationship to culture and the expression of the law? –Mat. 19:8, u Law as a values signal u Israel is not America (prisons…) u Canonical context: continuity (love God/neighbor) and discontinuity (Acts 15)