The Bible OverBrew - Bible in a YearSample

Week 9. Day 1. Deuteronomy 17-21.

Deuteronomy is something of a turning point. With this second giving of the law, the worldview for the rest of the Old Testament is complete. God has shown his people who he is (through his acts of redemption) and he has shown them how to live as his people. All that happens in later narratives will be measured by this standard.

Also, Moses dies at the end of Deuteronomy. He has been the great leader of the people, so his death marks the end of an era.

You may wish to continue to underline all references to:

●‘so that you may live long’

●‘that it may go well with you’

The central law section of Deuteronomy (Ch 6-26) may be seen as an exposition of the 10 commandments, in order. Even though this is only a rough structure (and fits better in some places than others), it may help us explain some of the more unfamiliar laws. These are just the principles of the 10 commandments, worked out into the daily life of Israel all those years ago.

Deuteronomy 17-21

In this less well known part of Scripture, there are two key passages, setting out the role of the king and of the prophet.

17:14-20 Law concerning the king. What are the requirements for the king? Does anything surprise you?

This was a radical law in the ancient world. The king of Israel was to be one of the people, and was not to amass power and wealth for himself. He was to meditate on God’s law, so his heart would not be lifted up. This is the pattern that was never fully lived out by any Israelite king, but found its true fulfilment in Jesus the servant king!

18:15-12 The prophet like Moses

This passage set up the expectation for a great prophet to come. What do we learn about this figure?

Moses was a vital figure for the people of Israel. He made God known to them, and without his prayers the people would have perished in the wilderness. [cut]?

Ch 19-21 all correspond to the command ‘do not murder’. Notice how the application of this command not only includes not taking life, but also seeking to protect and preserve life.

Note: 20:16-18 refers to God’s command to destroy the Canaanites. For some notes on how to deal with this tricky issue, see the notes for Joshua.

NOTE: Days 1-5 of each week contain the scripture reading for that week. Day 6 has just the 'key chapters'. If you want a briefer version of this plan that still takes you through the whole Bible, you could just read the key chapters featured on day 6. Day 7 has the podcast video where we discuss the week's reading.