How To Read ‘Deuteronomy’ Well

I've said it a few times recently, and I will keep on saying it; 

Deuteronomy is the most important book in the Hebrew Bible, or our Old Testament. 

The reasons why I view it as having such great significance play a role in how I would suggest reading it well, so we'll cover those, in addition to taking into consideration the usual context, history and literary guidance for getting the most out of this text, which is often approached with caution! 

First, let's look at the contents of Deuteronomy; what should we expect to find inside? 

Well, the name is a clue (though, I accept, not really since it's a clue in Ancient Greek).  

Deutero  meaning second, and Nomos meaning law. 

The second law – not a new law, but the second telling of the original law. 

Why tell someone the same thing twice? You wouldn't! Instead, this is the telling of the law to another group of people.  

In Numbers, we saw that there were two generations, counted up in two censuses. The first generation were those who left Egypt, along with Moses, and who first received the law. The second generation were those who came after them, born and raised in the wilderness, and were those who would enter into the land of Canaan.  

And here we find the first reason why this is such an important book of the bible. The law was given here, in Deuteronomy, to people about to start a new chapter, embarking on a journey of life as God's people in a settled society.  

The law, then, becomes a guide for how these people ought to live their lives in ways which are in line with what God wants from them. These laws should shape their community life, their personal lives and should be visible as a central part of their identity.  

Most of the rest of the Hebrew Bible is set in this phase – God's people, settled in what would be known as Israel. And they continue to live under the law we come across in Deuteronomy. The standards are being set here which shape this community for generations and generations to come. The other major thread in the Hebrew Bible is exile, and how to live faithful lives when they are unsettled once more. 

To put it simply, Deuteronomy is the start of the rest of our Old Testament.  

Whereas the narrative of Numbers takes place over about 38 years, between preparing to leave Mount Sinai, wandering around in the Wilderness and then arriving at the Plains of Moab, Deuteronomy is essentially three long sermons, given in the final months before entering the land of Canaan.  

It is preparatory, looking ahead, but also regularly highlights the need to remember where they had come from. The idea of journey is very important in Deuteronomy – from Egypt, into freedom, into the law and then into the wilderness and unknown. This new generation may not have journeyed all of that in their own lives, but they belong to a community, and they inherit the stories, and the ways of life, of those who have come before. 

Deuteronomy sets out the theological template for what is to come, it's place in the narrative is a pivotal moment of change and identity, and it is a cultural marker for Ancient Israel. 

As if that weren't enough, the cherry on the cake, and one further reason I believe it to be particularly significant, is that Deuteronomy, as a work of literature, becomes the foundation for a large chunk of the Hebrew Bible. 

Biblical scholars refer to 'Deuteronomistic History', and we've mentioned that a few times before on blogs or at Bible School.  

But if you've forgotten, or this is your first time hearing that phrase, what does it mean? 

Well, the theory is two part. The first is more relevant and more widely agreed upon. The second is interesting, and potentially important, but won't necessarily effect your bible reading in the same way. 

The first element is that there are a collection of texts which were edited together. This process means that they share a theological 'spine', and their points of emphasis are the same throughout, as well as a shared tone and 'voice' for the texts. This collection is; 

Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel (1&2 were originally just one text) and Kings (again, 1&2 were once joined) 

Once we emerge from those first five books, known as the Torah or Pentateuch, this is the next narrative section in what became our Old Testament. Deuteronomy is the bridge from the Pentateuch into this next part of the story, but as we have said, it also shapes the theology of the next part of the story.  

The two major characteristic traits of the Deuteronomistic History are; 

• Covenant Faithfulness - not just a call to it, but it becomes the thing against which leaders and people are judged. 

• Religious Reform – A process of removing ‘high places’ or altars to other local gods, and instead a ‘centralisation of worship’. Lots of small, scattered pieces being brought into order under one set of religious practices and ‘norms’ 

The relevance of this is that you'll see as you go through Deuteronomy how these things are set out, and in continuing through the Deuteronomistic History, how they are applied. The kings are assessed by whether they have remained faithful or not, and whether they have 'removed the high places' or not.  

The second element is a theory that these texts are rooted in a particular part of history, the reign of King Josiah in the 7th Century BCE. Josiah appears towards the end of 2 Kings, and it is said that he discovered 'The Book of the Law'.   

Some say this was a version of Deuteronomy. Others that it was a rudimentary version of the Torah. Some go as far as to say that Josiah was the reformer, and that this story in 2 Kings was created in order to legitimise his campaign of reforms. Others go even further, suggesting that all of these books, the Deuteronomistic History, can be dated to the time of King Josiah, with this wider collection unpacking the theology of this leader and setting a foundation for his actions.  

That, as I say, may be for another time. But for now, the connection between these stories is quite clear, and as we read Deuteronomy, we find ourselves at the start of this section of the Bible, which shifts focus, emphasis and style, the impact of which is felt throughout the rest of the Hebrew Bible. 

So, yes – I believe that Deuteronomy is the most important book in our Old Testament.  

But why not read along and make up your own minds?