Deuteronomy 6-8, 15, 18, 29-30, 34
“Beware Lest Thou Forget the Lord”
May 11 - May 17
scripture
commentaries
Introduction to the Book of Deuteronomy
<p>This book contains the parting words of Moses to the Israelites just before they entered the promised land of Canaan after their forty-year sojourn in the wilderness. Moses would not be joining them because he would soon be translated to further work of the Lord.<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a></p> <p>The title of the book, Deuteronomy, means “repeated law,” “second law,” or “copy of the law,” alluding to the fact that it is an abridgement of the Mosaic law and Israelite history Moses had compiled in the books of Exodus through Numbers. Deuteronomy offers a prophetic guide to what would best help God’s people retain their testimonies and grow in their conversion as they entered the promised land.</p> <p>Deuteronomy, like Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, is attributed to Moses, though we know that some sections of Deuteronomy appear to be later scribal additions (such as chapters 1 and 34). Nephi, who lived many hundreds of years after Moses, mentioned having access to “the five books of Moses” (1 Nephi 5:11).</p> <p>Moses’s exhortations in Deuteronomy reflect his wise concern that these people might stray from their beliefs and even break their covenants once they had settled in the fertile ground of the promised land. Moses knew that the temptation to feel self-sufficient would be strong. Accordingly, Deuteronomy features an emphasis on remembering as a key to avoiding spiritual amnesia, which is often the first step toward spiritual atrophy and apostasy. The words <em>remember</em>, <em>forget</em>, and their variants are found more often in Moses’s final book than in his previous four books combined.</p> <p>Yosef Yerushalmi, an authority on Jewish memory, wrote, “Only in Israel and nowhere else is the injunction to remember felt as a religious imperative to an entire people. Its reverberations are everywhere, but they reach a crescendo in the Deuteronomic history and in the prophets.”<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a></p> <p>Throughout Deuteronomy, Moses gathers multiple memory aids designed to help Israel successfully “let God prevail” in their lives. These memory aids<a href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">[3]</a> will be highlighted throughout these study notes.</p> <p>As you study this pre-inheritance-of-the-promised-land handbook, it may be helpful to look for similar memory aids in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that can strengthen modern disciples against deceptions of self-sufficiency (not to be conflated or confused with the virtues of self-reliance). It appears to be a universal temptation to believe that we all “fare in this life according to the management of the creature” and that everyone who prospers does so “according to [their] genius” and conquers “according to [their] strength” (Alma 30:17).</p> <p>Deuteronomy offers a different view—one in which we are in a continuous, dynamic relationship with God, having every aspect of our lives imbued with covenant significance and possibility. This is a reality that is both merciful and beautiful but that we ignore or abandon at our peril.</p> <p>For a brief outline and overview of the structure of Deuteronomy, see the entry for “Deuteronomy” in the Bible Dictionary, available at churchofjesuschrist.org.</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> See Matthew 17:3–4; Mark 9:4–9; Luke 9:30; Alma 46:19.</p> <p><a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi, <em>Zakhor: Jewish History and Jewish Memory</em> (Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 1982), 9.</p> <p><a href="#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3">[3]</a> Among these aids are salvation history; repetition; types and symbols; a sacred calendar with daily, weekly, seasonal, and yearly rites and observances; sacred architecture and monuments; religious attire; and even the Song of Moses.</p>
Old Testament Minute: Deuteronomy by BMC
Deuteronomy 6:1–3. Commandments, Statues, Judgments
<p>As part of the renewal of the Sinai covenant with the new generation, Moses repeated the Ten Commandments and the historical events surrounding their original reception (see Deuteronomy 5). Over the course of the next several chapters, Moses elaborated on each of the commandments, starting with the first: “I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me” (5:6–7). According to Mark Biddle, “Deut. 6–11 concentrates on the first commandment as the statement of the essence of Israel’s relationship with its God.”<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a></p> <p>Before elaborating on the commandments, Moses stressed the importance of living by them (6:1–3). One of the ways he did this was by using several different synonymous (or near synonymous) terms together: “Now these are the <em>commandments</em>, the <em>statutes</em>, and the <em>judgments</em>, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you” (6:1; emphasis added). This repetitive language is a common stylistic feature in Deuteronomy and is also used elsewhere in the Old Testament (see, for example, 1 Kings 2:3; Psalm 19:7–9). Similar repetitions also show up in the Book of Mormon (see, for example, 2 Nephi 5:10; Alma 30:3).<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a> Using several near synonyms together like this has a forceful, cumulative effect: it drives home the importance of total obedience to <em>all</em> that God commands and ensures that the covenant terms are comprehensive and complete, with no loopholes.<a href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">[3]</a></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> Mark Biddle, “Deuteronomy,” in <em>The New Interpreter’s Bible: One Volume Commentary</em>, ed. Beverly Roberts Gaventa and David Peterson (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2010), 116.</p> <p><a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> John W. Welch, “Statutes, Judgments, Ordinances, and Commandments,” in <em>Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research</em>, ed. John W. Welch (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book; Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies [FARMS], 1992), 62–65; John W. Welch, “A Steady Stream of Significant Recognitions,” in <em>Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon</em>, ed. Donald W. Parry, Daniel C. Peterson, and John W. Welch (Provo, UT: FARMS, 2002), 353–356.</p> <p><a href="#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3">[3]</a> Book of Mormon Central, “Why Does the Book of Mormon Use So Many Different Terms for ‘Law’”? (Alma 30:3),” <em>KnoWhy</em> 568 (July 7, 2020), available online at <a href="https://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/knowhy/why-does-the-book-of-mormon-use-so-many-different-terms-for-law">https://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/knowhy/why-does-the-book-of-mormon-use-so-many-different-terms-for-law</a>.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author:</strong> Neal Rappleye<br /><strong>General Editor:</strong> Taylor Halverson<br /><strong>Associate Editor:</strong> Morgan Tanner<br /><strong>Senior Editor:</strong> Sarah Whitney Johnson<br /><strong>Assistant Editor:</strong> Sam Lofgran<br /><strong>Assistant Editor:</strong> Verlanne Johnson</p>
Old Testament Minute: Deuteronomy by BMC
Deuteronomy 6:4–9. The Shema
<p>Moses began elaborating on the first commandment with what is often called the Shema, so named because that is the first Hebrew word in this passage. This word is usually translated as “hear” or “listen.” Reciting the Shema as part of prayer has been part of daily worship for Jews since antiquity, although exactly when this practice began is uncertain. Jesus quoted the Shema and said it was “the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:36–38; Mark 12:28–30), thus establishing the importance of this passage within Christianity as well. “The Shema calls for radical, total, whole-hearted, full-bodied devotion” and thus “paraphrases the first commandment and extends it to radical limits.”<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a> It demands complete, covenantal loyalty to the Lord.</p> <p>Elder D. Todd Christofferson gave three reasons <em>why</em> this first and great commandment must come before all the others. First, it is foundational. Loving God gives our lives purpose, direction, and meaning and anchors our love for others in divine purpose and power. Second, to ignore the first commandment or prioritize other commandments risks creating imbalance in our lives and facilitating dangerous deviations from the covenant path. Loving and submitting to God provide a check against corrupting virtues. Third, we risk harming others when our attempts at love are not grounded first in God’s truth. “The first and great commandment provides the true paradigm for life.” Elder Christofferson also explained <em>how </em>we can give this first commandment priority in our lives and discipleship: by being obedient to God, promoting His cause on the earth, praying and studying the scriptures, and being accountable to Him.<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> Mark Biddle, “Deuteronomy,” in <em>The New Interpreter’s Bible: One Volume Commentary</em>, ed. Beverly Roberts Gaventa and David Peterson (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2010), 116.</p> <p><a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> D. Todd Christofferson, “The First Commandment First” (Brigham Young University devotional, March 22, 2022), speeches.byu.edu.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author:</strong> Neal Rappleye<br /><strong>General Editor:</strong> Taylor Halverson<br /><strong>Associate Editor:</strong> Morgan Tanner<br /><strong>Senior Editor:</strong> Sarah Whitney Johnson<br /><strong>Assistant Editor:</strong> Sam Lofgran<br /><strong>Assistant Editor:</strong> Verlanne Johnson</p>
Old Testament Minute: Deuteronomy by BMC
Deuteronomy 6:10–19. Remember the Lord
<p>Moses then extended his discussion of the first commandment by talking about how the people must continue to “fear the Lord thy God, and serve him” after they inherit the land and “not go after other gods” (Deuteronomy 6:13–14). The concern expressed here is that Lord’s initial blessing for Israel of a land “full of all good things” (verse 11) that the people did not have to work for “may seduce [them] to forget that these blessings were the unmerited gift of God’s grace.”<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a> They must remember the Lord by diligently keeping all the commandments, testimonies, and statues that He has given them. Moses again used multiple near-synonymous terms to emphasize the importance of obedience to God (verse 17).</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> Mark Biddle, “Deuteronomy,” in <em>The New Interpreter’s Bible: One Volume Commentary</em>, ed. Beverly Roberts Gaventa and David Peterson (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2010), 117.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author:</strong> Neal Rappleye<br /><strong>General Editor:</strong> Taylor Halverson<br /><strong>Associate Editor:</strong> Morgan Tanner<br /><strong>Senior Editor:</strong> Sarah Whitney Johnson<br /><strong>Assistant Editor:</strong> Sam Lofgran<br /><strong>Assistant Editor:</strong> Verlanne Johnson</p>
Old Testament Minute: Deuteronomy by BMC
Deuteronomy 6:20–25. Why All the Testimonies, Statutes, and Judgments?
<p>Sons asking their fathers what the testimonies, statutes, and judgments commanded by the Lord mean (see Deuteronomy 6:20) eventually became a ritual enshrined in Judaism as part of the Passover festivities, going back to ancient times.<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a> Fathers would then respond by rehearsing Israel’s bondage and redemption from Egypt by the hand of Lord and His binding them by covenant to keep these commandments (see verses 21–25). Exactly when this practice was first implemented is unknown, but it may be reflected in the counsel Alma gave his sons in the Book of Mormon (see Alma 36–42).<a href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a></p> <p>The essence of the exchange recorded here and enshrined in ritual is that the Lord <em>first </em>loved Israel by using His might to set them free and giving them a promised land; thus, Israel must show love <em>in return</em> by keeping all that the Lord commanded of them. Elder D. Todd Christofferson likewise taught, “God, who commands us to love Him, first loved us.” He continued, reaching all the way back to the pre-mortal life to illustrate the point: “Beginning from our primal state as intelligences, our Heavenly Father has centered Himself and His work in us—in our immortality and eternal life. He sees it as His work and glory to do so. . . . Is it too much to ask that in return we center our lives in God and love Him as He has loved us, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength?”<a href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">[3]</a></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> Fred O. Francis, “The Baraita of the Four Sons,”<em> Journal of the American Academy of Religion</em> 42, no. 2 (1974): 280–297.</p> <p><a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> Gordon C. Thomasson and John W. Welch, “The Sons of the Passover,” in <em>Reexploring the Book of Mormon: A Decade of New Research</em>, ed. John W. Welch (Provo UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies [FARMS], 1992), 196–198; Book of Mormon Central, “Did Alma Counsel His Sons During the Passover? (Alma 38:5),” <em>KnoWhy</em> 146 (July 19, 2016), available online at https://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/knowhy/did-alma-counsel-his-sons-during-the-passover.</p> <p><a href="#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3">[3]</a> D. Todd Christofferson, “The First Commandment First” (Brigham Young University devotional, March 22, 2022), speeches.byu.edu.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author:</strong> Neal Rappleye<br /><strong>General Editor:</strong> Taylor Halverson<br /><strong>Associate Editor:</strong> Morgan Tanner<br /><strong>Senior Editor:</strong> Sarah Whitney Johnson<br /><strong>Assistant Editor:</strong> Sam Lofgran<br /><strong>Assistant Editor:</strong> Verlanne Johnson</p>
Old Testament Minute: Deuteronomy by BMC
