Seder 156---Deuteronomy 26-27---Rituals of Remembrance

 In Deuteronomy 26, Moses describes two rituals designed to help the Israelites stay on track in carrying out their divine mission.  One (vv 1-11) is a firstfruits ceremony, in which a family would bring the firstfruits of a year's harvest to the central sanctuary and present them to the priest.  The head of household would recite a statement rehearsing the nation's history and God's mighty works on their behalf.

No time is specified for this ceremony, but a natural time for it to occur would be annually at the time of Pentecost, when lots of people would be traveling to the sanctuary.  These would be wonderful times to rejoice together and include everyone in the celebration (v 11).  

Moses lays out a second ritual in verses 12-15, one to take place in the third and sixth years of every seven, the years in which one gave a tithe to help the needy (Dt 14:28-29).  In this ritual one affirmed one's allegiance to God and his covenant and prayed for God's covenant blessings.  

To our ears this statement might sound boastful, but it is not intended that way.  The statement is not making a claim of moral perfection; instead it is an affirmation of loyalty.  Understanding the difference can help us gain a more balanced understanding of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14.  In that parable the Pharisee can be faulted for looking down on the tax collector but not for affirming his obedience to God.  

Verses 16-19 of Deuteronomy 26 are a conclusion to Moses' address in Deuteronomy 12-26.  This conclusion implies that in conjunction with Moses' address, the Israelites carried out a covenant renewal ceremony (vv 17-18).  

There would be an additional covenant renewal ceremony when the Israelites crossed the Jordan in a few short weeks.  The principles of the Torah were to be written on large plastered stones which they were to set up at Mount Ebal (verses 1-8).  Then there would be a ceremony at Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim (already mentioned in Dt 11:29), with 6 tribes represented at each mountain.  Levites would give a series of twelve imprecations that would be affirmed by the people.  

The twelve imprecations, listed in Deuteronomy 27:9-26, cover a range of issues representing the entire Torah.  Two of them (vv 14, 25) explicitly mention things done in secret, leading to the observation that a number of the things covered are private actions that would not be prosecuted in court. For the Israelites to prosper in the land, they would need to follow God even when no humans were looking.

The ritual at Gerizim and Ebal was carried out as described (Joshua 8:30-35).  After that, people could look at the two mountains and remember the importance of the choices they made each day. 

This region would play an important role in Israel's later history.  For example, Jesus' conversation with the Samaritan woman (John 4) would take place there.  Kyle Kettering discussed this fascinating episode in a sermon at Church of the Messiah on August 12, 2023.  

Seder 151: Deuteronomy 21:10-23---More on War, Executions, and Other Matters

 Much of Deuteronomy 21 deals with cases related to the commandment, "You shall not murder."  Verses 1-9 discuss a case of unsolved murder.  

Verses 10-14, like 20:19-20, are about curbing the kinds of abuses that accompany war.  These verses describe a case where a man wants to marry a woman who has been taken as a prisoner of war.  As noted in verse 14, this woman has been "humiliated," since (1) her people have been defeated; (2) she has been taken captive; and (3) a warrior wants to marry her.  

Moses lays out guidelines to ensure that this woman, who has been  forced to join the Israelite community, is not mistreated.  The woman shaves her head, pares her nails, and is given new clothes, symbolizing the fact that she is leaving an old life behind and taking on a new identity.  The woman also is given time to mourn the deaths of her parents, while the future husband has this same time to be sure that he wants to go through with the marriage.  

If the man subsequently divorces the woman, she is free to return home or remarry.  She is not to be treated as a slave.

It's possible that the prisoner of war in verses 10-14 is the man's second wife.  Another way in which a second wife could be mistreated would be to have her children treated as inferior to those of the first wife.  Verses 15-17 rule against that possibility, saying that if a man's firstborn son comes from a less-favored wife, that son should still have the privileges of a firstborn son that accompany the responsibilities entailed by that position.

 Verses 18-21 deal with the case of a son who rebels against his parents. Since the future of Israel depends upon children embracing community values, this is a serious matter, one that is to handled by the community.  The seriousness is reflected in the fact that in an extreme case, the son can be put to death.  These verses are meant to preserve community holiness and deter children from engaging in such rebellion.  The ideal is that this kind of execution never be carried out.  

Hosea 11:1-9 later portrays the house of Israel as a whole as a rebellious son.  God is pictured agonizing over what to do with his son.  He decides not to destroy the house of Israel, opting for restoration over judgment. 

Verses 22-23 addresses the custom of publicly displaying the body of an executed person as an example to the community.  When this custom is followed, Moses says, the body should not be left out overnight.  The one being punished is, as a serious criminal, "cursed by God," and his body would defile the land.  An important consideration here is that bodies left exposed would be eaten by animals.  Humans are created in God's image, so their bodies should not be desecrated and mutilated.

We see Joshua following this instruction in Joshua 8:39; 10:26-27.  The New Testament connects the crucifixion with this passage (Acts 5:30; 10:39-40; 13:28-29).  Paul also makes this connection in Gal 3:13-14, quoting Deuteronomy 21 to explain that Jesus, in his crucifixion, took upon himself in our place the curse due to us for our sins.  

There is a traditional story connecting these cases in Deuteronomy 21.  By deciding to marry a prisoner of war, the man in verses 10-14 sets off an unfortunate chain reaction.  The war bride is a less-favored wife but bears the man's firstborn son.  The first son of the favored wife, feeling slighted, rebels and is put to death. His body is hung on a tree to deter further rebellious behavior.  (The story is not continued into chapter 22, so the son does not go on to become a cross-dressing zombie---see 22:5.)  

Reflecting on the discussion of war in Deuteronomy 20-21, Kyle Kettering gave a sermon at Church of the Messiah on July 8, 2023.  He talked about the spiritual war in which we are involved, the greatness of our King the Messiah, and the beauty of his kingdom.