9. The Deuteronomic Code, Part 1 - Amazon Web Serviceslogosdocs.s3.amazonaws.com/third-edition/011-deuteronomy/009-The... · Now, as we move into Lesson #9, we encounter the main

Lesson#9TheDeuteronomicCode,Part1

(12:1–13:19)

1TheDeuteronomicCode,Part1

InLesson#8wecon,nuedourintroduc,ontoMoses’2ndDiscourse,themainbodyofwhichcontainsavastcollec,onoflaws,ordinancesandstatutes,spanningchapters12-26.

InLesson#8wefurtherdevelopedthethemeofobediencetoGod,anobediencerootednotinasystemofrewardsandpunishments,butinaprofoundloveofGod,alovethatreturnsinfullmeasureGod’sextravagant,magnanimousandpassionateloveforIsrael.

TheDeuteronomicCode,Part1 2

Now,aswemoveintoLesson#9,weencounterthemainbodyofMoses’2ndDiscourse,12:1–26:15,acollec,onoflaws,statutesandordinancesthatcomprisetheessen,alsofIsrael’scommunallifestyle:itscollec,veworship,itsgoverningstructures,itsjudicialprinciples,anditsliturgicalforms.

Collec,vely,Deuteronomy12:1–26:15comprisesasingle,greatlegalcorpus,abodyoflaws,statutesandordinancesthat—iffollowed—createthestructuralframeworkforajustandholysociety,asocietyrootedinanin,mate,convent—indeed,familial—rela,onshipwithGod.

Importantly,themo>veforobeyingtheselaws,statutesandordinancesislove,notthehopeforrewardorthefearofpunishment.Deuteronomy’slegalcorpusenunciatesthe“rulesofthehouse”forGod’sfamily,muchasthe“ManualofDiscipline”offeredacoherentstructurefortheEssenecommunityatQumranorSt.Benedict’s“Rule”offeredacoherentstructureforBenedic,nemonas,clife.


Aswemightexpect—andasStevenL.CooksoinsighYullyobserves—theflowofchapters12-26,Deuteronomy’scorelegalcorpus,mirrorsthesequenceoftheTenCommandments.1

Consequently,theini,alchaptersreflectthefirsttwocommandments:

1.   Youshallhavenoothergodsbeforeme;and

2.   Youshallmakenogravenimagesofme.

Thus,Deuteronomy12commandsthatonceintheland,allves,gesofothergodsberemoved:torndown,smashed,choppeddownandburned.

1ReadingDeuteronomy,aLiteraryandTheologicalCommentary(Macon,Georgia:Smyth&HelwysPublishers,Inc.,2015),p.105.



“These are the statutes and ordinances which you must be careful to observe in the land which the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you to possess, throughout the time you live on its soil. Destroy entirely all the places where the nations you are to dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree. Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their asherahs, and chop down the idols of their gods, that you may destroy the very name of them from that place.” (12: 1-3)

Godwillbroachnocompe,,onwithothergodsinhisland.Allevidenceofothergodsmustbetotallydestroyed:wipedclean,scouredanderadicated.

We’veencounteredthissevereiconoclasminDeuteronomy7,wherewereadmuchthesame:



“But this is how you must deal with them: Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, chop down their asherahs, and destroy their idols by fire. For you are a people holy to the Lord, your God; the Lord, your God, has chosen you from all the peoples on the face of the earth to be a people specially his own . . .”

(7: 5-6)

Aswenotedpreviously,theviolentenergyoftheverbsin7:5captureswelltheiconoclas,ctheologyofDeuteronomy:“teardown,”[na-thats’]“smash”[sha-vair’],“chopdown”[ga-dah],“destroybyfire”[sa-raph’].

AsRobertAlterobserves:“Thestatementmovesfromoneverbofviolentdestruc,ontoanother,moreintenseone,endingwiththeujerconsumma,onbyfireofallpaganicons.”2

2TheFiveBooksofMoses,p.917.


However,unlikeDeuteronomy7,chapter12couplesitsiconoclasmwithatrulyrevolu,onaryconcept:onceintheland,Israelistohaveonlyoneplaceofworship,asingularcul,csiteassociatedwiththeLord’sname.



“That is not how you are to act toward the Lord, your God. Instead, you shall seek out the place which the Lord, your God, chooses out of all your tribes and designates as his dwelling to put his name there. There you shall go, bringing your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and personal contributions, your votive and voluntary offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and flocks. There, too, in the presence of the Lord, your God, you and your families shall eat and rejoice in all your undertakings, in which the Lord, your God, has blessed you.”

(12: 4-7)

Notme.

TheDeuteronomicCode,Part1

SodidtheprecursorsoftheIsraelites!RecallthatAbrahambuiltanaltaronMountMoriah

(Genesis22:9);IsaacbuiltanaltaratBeersheva(Genesis26:25);and

JacobbuiltanaltaratBethel(Genesis35:1).

Thatisrevolu,onary!TheEgyp,anshadmanyplacesofworship,andtheHintes,

Girgashites,Amorites,Canaanites,Perizzites,Hivites,andJebusites

worshippedtheirgods“onthehighmountains,onthehills,andunder

everygreentree”(12:2).

11

EvenMosescommandsthatanaltarbebuiltonahighplacewhentheIsraelitesgainafootholdinthelandofCanaan:



“When you cross the Jordan, on Mount Ebal you shall set up these stones concerning which I command you today, and coat them with plaster, and you shall build there an altar to the Lord, your God, an altar made of stones that no iron tool has touched. You shall build this altar of the Lord, your God, with unhewn stones, and shall offer on it burnt offerings to the Lord, your God. You shall also offer communion sacrifices and eat them there, rejoicing in the presence of the Lord, your God.” (Deuteronomy 27: 4-7)

Itisthisverymountain—MountEbal—where,aperconqueringAi,JoshuabuildsthealtarMoseshadcommandedbebuilt:



“Later, on Mount Ebal, Joshua built to the Lord, the God of Israel, an altar of unhewn stones on which no iron tool had been used, just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded . . . on this altar they sacrificed burnt offerings to the lord and made communion sacrifices . . . and all Israel . . . stood on either side of the ark facing the levitical priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord. Half of them were facing Mount Gerizim and half Mount Ebal . . . then were read aloud all the words of the law, the blessings and the curses, exactly as written in the book of the law.”

(Joshua 8: 30-35)


JordanRiver!

DEADSEA

PlainofMoab

"Ai[et-Tell]

MountEbal!

MountGerizim!


"MountEbal(Curses)

! MountGerizim(Blessings)

BiblicalTownofShechem(Modern-dayNablus)

StonealtaronMountEbal.Source:www.bible.ca


MountEbalstands3,080p.,oneofthehighestmountainsinIsrael’sWestBank;MountGerizimisslightlylower,2,880p.

ArchaeologistshavefoundpotshardsatMountEbalda,ngfrom1220-1000B.C.,aswellascharredbonesfrombulls,goatsandfallowdeer.

AsScripturesuggests,MountEbalwasdoubtlessaplaceofcul,cworshipandanimalsacrifice.3

3RalphK.Hawkins.TheIronAgeIStructureonMt.Ebal:Excava>onandInterpreta>on(WinonaLake,IN:Eisenbrauns,2012).


HavingoneplaceofworshipandsacrificeforallIsraelcreatesunityandcohesioninthecommunity,andthatworksaslongastheen,recommunitystaystogetherinclosegeographicproximity.

Apertheconquestanddistribu,onofthelandamongthetribes,however,unityandcohesionquicklybreakdown.

Theboundariesoftribalterritoriesfollow,forthemostpart,naturaltopographicalmarkers:rivers,valleys,mountains,andsoon.Consequently,thetribesareopenisolatedfromoneanotherbybothdistanceandterrain,makingoneplaceofworshipproblema,c.



The12TribesofIsraelatthe,meofJoshua—beforeDanmovednorth—areseparatednorthtosouthbynearly200milesandwesttoeastbynearly130miles.

Theterrainvariesfrommountainousinthenorthtobarrendesertwildernessinthesouth;theflatcoastalplainisisolatedfromtheJordanValleybythetowering2,500p.centralmountainrange,whichisitselfisolatedfromtheeasternmountainrangebytheSeaofGalilee,JordanRiverandDeadSea,thegreatJordanRipValley.

ThegeographicalproblemissolvedtosomedegreebytheportableTabernacle,whichcanbemovedfromplacetoplace.

Atthebeginningof1Samuel(around1100-1050B.C.),forexample,wefindHannahandherhusbandElkanah,parentsoftheprophetSamuel,livinginthehillcountryofEphraiminthecentralmountainrange.OnceeachyeartheytraveltoShilohtooffersacrificeattheTabernaclewithElithehighpriest.

Shilohisalsointhecentralmountainrange,about28milesnorthofJerusalem.ItiscloseenoughforHannahandElkanahtovisit,butfarenoughawaythattheyonlyvisitonceeachyear.


Agenera,onlater,atthe,meofDavid,theTabernacleisatNob,avillageontheborderofBenjaminandJudah,nearJerusalem(1Samuel21:2).

WhenDavidbecomeskingtenyearslater,uni,ngthe12tribesunderhisleadership,theTabernacleisatKiriathJearim(about9milesfromJerusalemnearthemodernIsraeliArabtownofAbuGhosh).

DavidfamouslymovestheArkoftheCovenantfromtheTabernacleatKiriathJearimtoatentonhisownpalacegroundsinJerusalem,whereitwillstayun,lhissonSolomonbuildsthe1stTemple,966-959B.C.,re,ringtheTabernacleandmovingtheArkoftheCovenantintotheTemple’sHolyofHolies.


ButevenwiththeavailabilityoftheportableTabernacle,manyfoundittooinconvenienttotravelandtogathertogetherasonepeople...ortheyweresimplydrawntoolderpaganplacesofworship“undertheleafytrees.”

TheprophetHosea(ac,veatthesame,measIsaiah,740-686B.C.),excoriatessuchbehavior:“Onthemountaintopstheyoffersacrifice

andonthehillstheyburnincense,Beneathoakandpoplarandterebinth,

becauseoftheirpleasantshade.Thereforeyourdaughterspros>tutethemselves,

andyourdaughters-in-lawcommitadultery.”

(4:13)


Havingoneplaceofworshipandsacrificecreatesanotherproblemaswell.

AswelearnedinourstudyofLevi,cus,slaughteringanimalsforfoodisacul,cac,vitythatmustbeconductedonlybythepriests,foralllifeissacred,includingthatofanimals,andthesheddingoftheirbloodmustbedoneproperly,accompaniedbytheprescribedrituals.

So,howwillpeopleeatmeat?



“Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings in any place you like, but offer them in the place which the Lord chooses in one of your tribal territories; there you shall do what I command you. However, in any of your communities you may slaughter and eat meat freely, according to the blessing that the Lord your God, has given you; the unclean as well as the clean may eat it, as they do the gazelle or the deer. Only you shall not eat the blood, but must pour it out on the ground like water. Moreover, you may not, in your own communities, partake of your tithe of grain or wine or oil, of the firstborn of your herd or flock . . . these you must eat in the presence of the Lord, your God, in the place that the Lord, your God, chooses.”

(12: 13-18)

Notme.


Iwonderwhatwillhappentoallthose

Catholicswhoareinhellonameatrap?

Ah,ha!Godgivesanexemp,on!That’ssortoflikeRomanCatholicsbeingallowedtoeatmeaton

Fridays!

27


Ha,ha,ha!


Watchout,buster,you’reonthinice!

Clearly,thiscommandtoworshipandsacrificeinonlyoneplace,reinforcingunityandcohesioninthecommunity,couldonlycomeintoplaymuchlater,duringthe,meofDavid,aperIsraelhadbecomeaunitedmonarchy,centeredinJerusalem.


Aswelearnedearlier,apertheIsraelitescrosstheJordanRiverandbegintheconquestofCanaanitwilltakenearly400yearstofullycontroltheland.

Fromthe,meofJoshuaun,lthe,meofDavid(1406-1010B.C.),Israelisatbestalooseconfedera,onof12tribes,eachlivingtheirownlivesontheirowntriballands,comingtogetheronlywhenoutsidethreatsdemandit,aswewitnessduringthe,meoftheJudges(1300-1050B.C.).

EvenunderSaul,Israel’sfirstking,the12tribescon,nuetobemoreorlessautonomous.

ThatchangeswithDavid.


Aprodigyatwarfare,Davidbecomesana,onalheroasateenagerwhenhekillsGoliath,thePhilis,ne’sgreatestwarrior,inamanoamanofight,deliveringGoliath’sheadtoKingSaul.

DavidrisesquicklythroughSaul’smilitaryranks,sooncommandingSaul’smostelitewarriors,theSEALTeam6ofhisday,the,pofthespear.

ButwithDavid’smeteoricsuccess,Saul’sjealousyandparanoiaboilover.AperSaulhiresassassinstokillDavid,Davidgoesontherun,ul,matelycommandinganeliteforceof600verytoughmercenaries...andworkingforIsrael’smortalenemy,Achish,kingofGath—aPhilis,neking!


Caravaggio.DavidwiththeHeadofGoliath(oiloncanvas),1606-1617.GalleriaBorghese,Rome.


WiththedeathofSaulandhisthreesons—Jonathan,AbinadabandMalchishua—thedooropensforDavidtobecomeking.

ButDavidhasspentthelasttenyearsawantedfelonontherun,workingforIsrael’senemy,thePhilis,nes.DavidhadnoclaimwhatsoeveronIsrael’skingship,whichdweltfirmlyintheHouseofSaul,withinthetribeofBenjamin.DavidwasanoutlawfromthetribeofJudah,atraitortomany,fitonlyforthegallows!

AperturningonthePhilis,nesanddefea,ngthem,however,Davidbecomesking(or,moreaccurately,tribalwarlord)ofJudah,hisowntribe.Itisonlythroughsomeverydeppoli,calmaneuvering(andafewtargetedassassina,ons)thatDavidralliestheelevenothertribes,whoul,matelyfallunderhiskingship.


David’scapital—hisheadquarters—isinHebron,thelargestcitywithinthesoutherntribeofJudah.Tobujresssupportfromthenortherntribes,DavidmoveshiscapitalnorthtoJerusalem,acityhemustfirstconquer,takingitfromtheJebusites.

Jerusalem,the“CityofDavid,”isapoli,calconcession.

WithDavid’sdeathin970B.C.,hissonSolomonbecomesking,andSolomonconsolidatespowerinJerusalem,buildingtheTemple,apermanentstructure—oneplacewhereallIsraeliteswillworshipGodandoffersacrifice.

AndGodisapparentlyverypleased,forwhenSolomondedicatestheTemplein959B.C.weread:



“The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, the inner sanctuary of the house, the holy of holies, beneath the wings of the cherubim . . . There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tablets which Moses had put there at Horeb [Mount Sinai], when the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they went froth from the land of Egypt. When the priests left the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord so that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud, since the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord. Then Solomon said, ‘The Lord intends to dwell in the dark cloud; I have indeed built you a princely house, the base for your enthronement forever.’”

(1 Kings 8: 6-13)

AtlasttherewasoneplacewhereGod’snamedwelt:theTempleinJerusalem.Withbothpoli,calandreligiouspowerfirmlyrootedinJerusalem—andallJewswhowereablemakingtheannualpilgrimagetoJerusalemforPentecost,PassoverandTabernacles—theinjunc,oninDeuteronomy12,toworshipGodinoneplace,becameareality.

Butitwasshort-lived.



WithSolomon’sdeathin930B.C.civilwarbrokeout,withthetennortherntribesformingthena,onIsrael,itscapitalatSamaria,andthetwosoutherntribesformingthena,onJudah,itscapitalatJerusalem.

Jereboam,rebelleaderofthenortherntribes,knewwhatwouldhappenifthepeoplecon,nuedgoingtoJerusalem’sTempleforthepilgrimagefes,vals,worshipingasone:

“Jeroboamthoughttohimself:‘NowthekingdomwillreturntothehouseofDavid.IfthispeoplegouptooffersacrificesinthehouseoftheLordinJerusalem,theheartsofthispeoplewillreturntotheirmaster,Rehoboam,kingofJudah,andtheywillkillmeandreturntoRehoboam,kingofJudah.’Thekingtookcounsel,madetwocalvesofgold,andsaidtothepeople:‘YouhavebeengoinguptoJerusalemlongenough.Hereareyourgods,OIsrael,whobroughtyouupfromthelandofEgypt.’AndheputoneinBethel,theotherinDan.”

(1Kings:26-29)




ISRA

EL

JUDAH

<"Dan

"Bethel

Jerusalem!

Samaria!


PhotographybyAnaMariaVargas

DrivingnorthonarainydayfromtheSeaofGalileetoDan,blessedbyabeau,fulrainbow.



HikingthroughTelDanNa,onalParktothealtarofthegoldencalf,onIsrael’sboarderwithLebanon.



ThegoldencalfthatchasedAna!



TheDanRiver,oneofthreemajorrun-offstreamsfromMountHermonthatformtheJordanRiver.TheothertwoaretheBaniasandtheHasbani.



Approachingthealtarofthegoldencalf.



Thealtarofthegoldencalf.No,cethelush,forestedsurroundings,withthesoundofrushingwaterfromtheDanRiverinthebackground.

ForbiddentogotoJerusalemforthepilgrimagefes,vals,anoldpriestatDanlaments:

“Likethedeerthatyearnsforrunningstreams,somysoulisyearningforyoumyGod.

Mysoulisthirs>ngforGod,theGodofmylife:

WhencanIenterandseethefaceofGod?

Mytearshavebecomemybread,bynight,byday,

AsIhearitsaidallthedaylong:“WhereisyourGod?”

ThesethingswillIrememberasIpouroutmysoul:

HowIwouldleadtherejoicingcrowdintothehouseofGod

Amidcriesofgladnessandthanksgiving,thethrongwildwithjoy.”

(Psalm42:1-5)


Ascivilwarragesforover80years,unityandcohesionamongtheIsraelitescollapse,withthenorthernkingdomfallingtotheAssyriansin722B.C.andthesouthernkingdomfallingtotheBabyloniansin586B.C.

WiththeTempledestroyed,Jerusaleminruinsandthepeopletakencap,vetoAssyriaandBabylon,God’sinjunc,ontoworshiphiminoneplaceasacovenantcommunity—theplacewherehisnamedwells—fadeslikeadream,leavingbehindonlyregretandremorse:

“BythewatersofBabylontherewesatweeping whenwerememberedZion.

Onthepoplarsinitsmidstwehungourharps.”

(Psalm137:1-2)


Notme.


Ooooo!Iknowtheanswerto

that!

Iwonderwhateverhappenedtothegoldencalfaltarat

Bethel?

50

WereadthatapertheHighPriestHilkiahdiscoveredthe“bookofthelaw”intheTemplein622B.C.,kingJosiahini,atedmajorreforms,includingtearingdownpaganplacesofworship...“ThealtarwhichwasatBethel,thehighplacebuiltbyJeroboam,sonofNebat,whocausedIsraeltosin—thissamealtarandhighplacehetoredownandburned,grindingthehighplacetopowderandburningtheasherah.WhenJosiahturnedandsawthegravesthereonthemountainside,heorderedthebonestakenfromthegravesandburnedonthealtar,andthusdefiledit....”

(2Kings:23:15-16)


Notme.


Ha,ha,ha!BecauseI’msmarter

thanyou!

Howdidthedogknowthat,andI

didn’t?

52

ButonceagainGodrescueshispeople,raisingupCyrustheGreat,kingofPersia,whodefeatstheBabyloniansin539B.C.andallowsallthecap,vepeople,includingtheJews,toreturntotheirhomesandrebuildtheirci,esandtemples.

By516B.C.thereturningJewsrebuiltanddedicatedthe2ndTemple,andbythemid-400sJerusalemonceagainprospered.Godhadgivenhispeopleasecondchance:

“WhentheLordrestoredthecap>vesofZion,wethoughweweredreaming.

Thenourmouthswerefilledwithlaughter;ourtonguessangforjoy.

Thenitwassaidamongthena>ons,‘TheLordhasdonegreatthingsforthem.’

TheLordhasdonegreatthingsforus;Oh,howhappywewere!

(Psalm126:1-3:1-5)


AperthereturnfromBabylon,Deuteronomyacquireditsfinalform,withthelaws,statutesandordinancesofDeuteronomy12-26soundinganurgentandinsistentnote.

Moseshadproclaimedhis2ndDiscourseontheplainsofMoabin1406B.C.;Josiahhadproclaimedanaugmented2ndDiscourseintheipsissimavox,the“veryvoice”ofMoses,fromtherenovatedTemplein622B.C.;andnowthelevi,calpriesthoodproclaimsthefinalversionofthe2ndDiscoursetothosereturningfromtheBabyloniancap,vity.

Onceagain,theIsraelitesworshipandsacrificeinoneplaceasonepeople,aplacewhereGod’snameonceagaindwells,intherebuiltTemple,intheholycityofJerusalem.


Giventhisverycheckeredhistory,ahistoryoffallingawayfromGodoverandoveragain,ahistoryofchasingaper“othergods”repeatedly,Deuteronomy13readsasadirewarning:



“Every word that I command you, you shall be careful to observe, neither adding to it nor subtracting from it. If there arises in your midst a prophet or a dreamer who promises you a sign or wonder, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ whom you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ and the sign or wonder foretold to you comes to pass, do not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer; for the Lord, our God, is testing you to know whether you really love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and soul. The Lord, your God, shall you follow, and him shall you fear; his commandments shall you observe, and to his voice shall you listen; him shall you serve, and to him you shall hold fast.”

(13: 1-5)

Ifonlythatwerethecase!Butweknowwhathappens.JesusspokeofitintheOlivetDiscourse.AperascathingencounterwiththereligiousleadersinJerusalem,inwhichhecallsthem“hypocrites,”“whitewashedtombs,”“serpents”anda“broodofvipers,”JesuspointstotheTempleandsays:

“Youseeallthesethings,doyounot?Amen,Isaytoyou,therewillnotbeleghereastoneuponanotherstonethatwillnotbethrowndown.”

(Majhew24:2)

InA.D.70theTempleburnsagain,JerusalemliesinashesandtheIsraelitesarescajeredamongthena,onsforthenext2,000years—un,lMay14,1948.


DavidRoberts.SiegeandDestruc>onofJerusalembytheRomansundertheCommandofTitus,A.D.70(oiloncanvas),1850.PrivateCollec,on.


1.   Asweenterthe“core”ofMoses’2ndDiscourse,avastcollec,onoflaws,statutesandordinances(Chapters12-26),howisthecontentarranged?

2.   WhydoesGodonceagaininsistthatwhentheIsraelitesenterthelandofCanaantheydestroyanyves,gesofthegodsworshipedbytheindigenouspeople?

3.   WhydoesGodcommandthathebeworshipedinonlyoneplace?

4.   WhataretheconstraintsthatpreventGodfrombeingworshipedinonlyoneplace?

5.   Ifanimalscanonlybeslainunderpropersupervisionofthepriesthood,howwillpeoplelivingatagreatdistancefromwherethepriestsarehavemea59ttoeat?


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9. The Deuteronomic Code, Part 1 - Amazon Web Serviceslogosdocs.s3.amazonaws.com/third-edition/011-deuteronomy/009-The... · Now, as we move into Lesson #9, we encounter the main