Textual Description of Deuteronomy

Textual Description of Deuteronomy

In narrative terms, Deuteronomy comes just as the Israelites, encamped on the plains of Moab, finally stand poised to enter the Promised Land. This entry into Canaan would provide the long-awaited climax of the story that had begun with the promises to the ancestors in Genesis, and whose fulfillment had been delayed by the enslavement in Egypt and the wandering in the wilderness.

Deuteronomy is set in the time of Moses, and Moses as Deuteronomy’s speaker, arrests the narrative action in order to deliver the final words to the Israelites before he dies and they enter the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 12:2-28 presents a series of addresses by Moses to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. In verses 4-26 he reviews the nation’s history, expounds upon their laws, and instructs them about the importance of loyalty to God. Verse 27 is the covenant of obedience; a ceremony in which Israel takes an oath of obedience. Moses then exhorts Israel to remain faithful to it and swear upon an oath to uphold this combination of law and instruction as a covenant upon the plains of Moab. Thus Deuteronomy displays law as instruction and Moses as the instructor.

Through Deuteronomy, God described what He expects of Israel in terms of offerings, the food they should consume, the purification of the land they were promised, and their obedience toward Himself. Deuteronomy 12:2-3 states “You must demolish completely all the places where the nation whom you are about to dispossess served their gods, on the mountain heights, on the hills, and under every leafy tree. Break down their altars, smash their pillars, burn their sacred poles with fire, and hew down the idols of their gods, and thus blot out their name from their places.”

Before Israel crossed over the Jordan, during the wilderness wanderings, each Israelite pretty much conducted their own worship as they pleased. But God was not really pleased with this; worship was not a matter left up to whatever pleased the individual. Real worship is concerned with what pleases God. Instead to uphold God’s divinity and respect, Israel is commanded to bring all their offerings to the altar of God, and all their holy things to the place which he should choose, (Deuteronomy 26-28). They are forbidden, in general, to do as they now did in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 12:8-11), and as the Canaanites had done (Deuteronomy 12:29-32), and, in particular, to eat the hallowed things at their own houses (Deuteronomy 12:13,17,18), or to forsake the instituted ministry, Deuteronomy 12:19. They are permitted to eat flesh as common food at their own houses, provided they do not eat the blood, Deuteronomy 12:15-16, and again, Deuteronomy 12:20-26. They had to worship God at His prescribed place, and among other worshiper of God. The place of worship was to be a place of atonement, confession, giving, and cleansing.

Deuteronomy 12:14-18 describes what God expected in terms of offerings from Israel. In the ancient world, almost every time an animal was butchered it was sacrificed to a god. Here, the LORD made it clear that not every slaughtered animal