The Law and Love

Deuteronomy: The Law and LoveAs you are reading the Book of

Deuteronomy, you may wonder, haven’t I heard all this before?

In some fashion the answer is yes, in the Book of Exodus and Numbers.

But the writer of Deuteronomy used a different device to tell the story of Israel’s liberation…

Deuteronomy: The Law and Love

Covenant with Yahweh

and…

Deuteronomy: The Law and Love

Wandering in the desert

Deuteronomy: The Law and LoveThe opening of

Deuteronomy sets the scene for Moses’s sermons.

The book closes with him climbing a mountain to look at Canaan, which he will not be able to enter.

Moses’ Message to the PeopleHe tries to inspire

them to be faithful in the new land where many temptations await them:IdolatryWealthPower

Moses’ Message to the PeopleHe retells the stories

to remind the people that God has been with them all along:Slavery in EgyptCovenant at Sinai40 Years in the

WildernessBrink of Entering

the Promised Land

Classroom ActivityIn writing, share a story that is told and retold in your family.

What special meaning or message does it hold?

Keeping the LawDeuteronomy shows

a sensitivity to the poor and oppressed:Every 7 years, debts

are forgiven.Israelites may not

be sold into slavery.Parents and

children may not be punished for one another’s crime.

Social Justice

Josiah’s Reform MovementBegan 30 years

before the Exile.King Josiah wanted

to call people back to the Covenant, but was unsuccessful.

The Israelites’ refusal is seen as a cause for their destruction and Exile.

Love at the Core of the LawAt the heart of the

laws is the Shema prayer.

It says that God is One and we must love Him with our entire being:HeartSoulStrength

Jesus and the Great Commandment

Jesus also quoted Deuteronomy about the love of God and added that you should love your neighbor as yourself.

Classroom ActivityIn the Shema, the Jews attempt to express

and pass on their burning love for God. Has someone in your life passed on a sense of God’s love for you? If so, write about this person and the ways he/she has taught you about God’s love. Also, reflect on any opportunities you have taken to pass on a sense of God’s love to another.

On the Brink of the Promised LandAt the end of

Deuteronomy, the Israelites are poised to enter the Promised Land.

We have now completed our study of the Pentateuch (Torah), the first five books of the Bible.

On the Brink of the Promised Land

The first book, Genesis, taught us about the origins of the people of Israel.

On the Brink of the Promised Land

Exodus showed us how God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and made the covenant of Sinai with them.

On the Brink of the Promised Land

Leviticus showed us the great concern that the Jews held for reverent worship and holiness.

On the Brink of the Promised Land

Numbers took us on a journey with the Israelites through the wilderness in search of the Promised Land.

On the Brink of the Promised Land

And Deuteronomy gave us insight into the essential spirit of Judaism, which is wholehearted love for God.

On the Brink of the Promised Land

This last book of the Pentateuch ends with the Israelites on the brink of the Promised Land, with Joshua as God’s chosen one in charge.