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DEUTERONOMY – PART TWO Rules and Regulations for Daily Life 16 DEUTERONOMY – PART TWO 16 Rules and Regulations for Daily Life Chapters 12-28 These chapters are a continuation or the second part of CHAPTER 13: Pagan practices Moses’ Second Sermon. They contain laws and regulations governing every aspect of Israel’s daily This section on pagan practices begins with Chapter life: cultic, criminal, and social. Deuteronomy stresses 12:29. A big danger for the Israelites when they enter that the covenant is tied to life in the land, and that Canaan is the temptation to adopt the pagan practices misuse of the land, failure to create a just society, and of their neighbors, which Moses strongly warns them dishonest policies of rulers, will cost Israel its right to to stay away from. They should not even inquire into the land. This understanding of God’s dealings with the worship practices of their Canaanite neighbors (Ch Israel becomes very important when the people are 12:30). exiled from the land (598-587 BC). They come to realize that they lost their land because of their The worship life of Israel is threatened. Threats may infidelity to God and their failure to build a just come from one of their prophets (vv 2-6), a family society. member (vv 7-12), or a whole city. But anyone who leads others astray is to be executed. We are reminded CHAPTER 12: One place of worship of Jesus’ harsh words to those who are a source of scandal to others. (Lk 17:1-3) Moses orders the destruction of all places of worship. “Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars …, Pause: What common practices today can keep us away shatter the idols of their gods, that you may stomp out from loyalty to God and his Word? What practices in the the remembrance of them in any such place” (v.3). wider community pose a threat to us as we seek to remain These are harsh words intended to protect the true to God’s ways? Israelites from becoming involved in any way with the pagan practices of the Canaanites. CHAPTER 14: Dietary laws as a way to protect For us, it is clear that we are called to remove any Israel’s identity false gods in our lives and to guard against worldly temptations that lure us away from God. The Israelites are forbidden to adopt the mourning practices of the Canaanites. Verses 4-14. Moses tells the people to worship only at the places prescribed for that purpose (vv 4-14). Concerning dietary laws (vv 3-21), the Collegeville Scholars tell us that the author of Deuteronomy Commentary on Deuteronomy states: (writing hundreds of years after Israel entered the Promised Land), was pushing for the centralization of “Observance of these dietary laws helped early worship in one place, namely, Jerusalem. But as we Judaism develop its identity. It effectively cut off shall see in the next several books of the Bible, the socializing with non-Jews and thereby helped to fend people continue to worship at several shrines. off the impulse to assimilation. Gradually these dietary laws, as they were developed and enlarged in Verses 13-28. As a consequence of the legislation early Judaism, became so ingrained in the Jewish confining worship at a single sanctuary, a distinction religious identity that the first Christians had a has been made between the profane slaughter of difficult time conceiving of the possibility of genuine animals (which can be done on the farms and religion without them (Acts 15:29; Col 2:21). The basic consumed in the homes) and the sacrificial killing of assumption behind these dietary laws is that the animals (which may only take place at a chosen shrine people of God cannot be like the people who worship and eaten there). Drinking blood is forbidden because foreign gods, and this distinction is to extend even to it is a pagan practice in the land that Israel is about to matters of diet.” (p. 212) enter, and because blood represents life―which is sacred to God. The ancient practice of tithing (vv 22-29) serves two purposes: (1) to give God the first fruits of the harvest 1 as a way of reminding the people that God is the giver “An important concern in Israel was the quality of its of the land and the harvest; (2) to help maintain the leadership. The Deuteronomists describe their places of worship and to support the Levites, the expectations of those who are to hold specific offices: priestly clans who had no land of their own. judge, king, priest, and prophet. What is most significant in Deuteronomy’s presentation is the Pause: Is Catholic identity important in our pluralistic assumption that Israel’s leaders, especially the king, society? If so, how do we hold onto our Catholic identity? are subject to the written, authoritative law found in the Book of Deuteronomy. The rule of the king is not absolute. All Israel’s leaders are bound by the sacred CHAPTER 15: Regulations for dealing with debts, traditions that find expression in Deuteronomy. This slaves, and firstlings serves to limit the authority of the leadership class and makes it more responsible to the people as a To mitigate the widespread problem of poverty and whole Deuteronomy clearly espouses belief in the debts, it is decreed that every seventh year shall be a value of limited government.” (p. 215-16) year of release, when all debts are to be cancelled. Creditors are to be forgiving on their kinsmen who One key to enjoying life in the Promised Land is if a owe them, and those who own a lot of land shall be fair justice system existed which would help the generous in loaning land to those in need (vv 7-8). people to be faithful to their covenant with God and enable them to reddress the grievances within the In the ancient Near East, some people who have large community. To that end, it is decreed that: debts are forced to sell themselves into slavery as a way to work off their payment. It is decreed that • Judges shall be elected in each community (16:18- slaves shall be released after six years of service, 20). whether or not they have paid their debt, and that they • Procedures shall be established for uncovering the shall not be sent away empty-handed (vv 3-4). truth in court and carrying out the court’s decisions (17:2-7; 19:15-21). Only male first-born animals shall be dedicated to • A central court shall be set up for dealing with God as a reminder that it is God who gives the difficult cases (17:8-13). harvest. The animal shall be consumed before God in • A sanctuary or safe haven shall be provided to a the place of God’s choosing. Firstlings with blemish person charged with the unintentional killing of are not to be offered to God. They can be eaten in the another to ensure that revenge does not take homes or communities after discarding the animal’s precedence over justice (19:1-13). blood (v.23). CHAPTER 20: Rules for war CHAPTER 16:1-18: Liturgical Feasts The regulations regarding warfare are mentioned Three of the main feasts in Israel’s Liturgical year are elsewhere in this book (21:10-14, 23:9-14, 25:17-19). Passover, Feast of Weeks and Feast of Booths (see All the attention to warfare in the Bible may offend commentary on Leviticus 23, article 9, for more on these our modern sensibilities, but it was through armed feasts). These feasts are celebrated at a central struggle that cities and nations were conquered. It is sanctuary (vv. 5-6) rather than in the towns of the land, no great wonder that Israel acquired the land of as was the previous custom (Lev 23:3). Canaan, in part through violent means. The Collegeville commentary states: Abib is the Hebrew name for the month in which the feast of Passover is to be celebrated (around March- “The treatment of enemy cities appears brutal, but April) (v.1). what is described here (vv 10-18) is not any more brutal than the practices of other nations in the CHAPTERS 16:18 - 19:21: Leaders and institutions ancient Near East. In interpreting these verses, it is important to remember that Deuteronomy is more There are statutes and decrees that apply to positions ideological than realistic in its presentation of of leadership and associated institutions. Introducing Israelite military policies. Israel is not in a position to these chapters, the Collegeville Commentary states: conduct itself according to these prescriptions. Israel 2 is more in danger of having its cities destroyed than Miscellaneous Laws its neighbors are.” (p.217) The next five chapters (21-25) deal with laws covering Because Israel does not obey God’s command to a variety of issues. They are not arranged in any totally wipe out the cities (mentioned in verse 17), particular order, but all serve to describe the pattern of they are constantly attacked by these enemies and they Israel’s life in the land. They all are supported by one experience more bloodshed and destruction than if single principle: obedience to these laws will help they had followed God’s instructions. Because the Israel secure her future in the land. Israelites intermingle with these nations, they adopt pagan forms of worship. The general lesson we take We can also say that including a wide variety of topics from these difficult verses, (excluding the military communicates that one’s whole life was intended to be bit), is that we need to recognize who (or what) are the ordered towards God.
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