This week,
we shall continue with the study of the Book of Deuteronomy in the Old
Testament.
Specific Legislations—Clean and Unclean
(1) Do not mourn as the pagans do for the dead (vv. 1-2)
a. Why does Moses choose to repeat the laws already declared in Lev. 19:27-28 and 21:5?
b. What reason does he give for such prohibitions?
c. Should a Christian, out of love and respect for both their loved one who is dead and their cultural practice, mimic the pagan style of mourning? Why or why not?
(2) Clean and Unclean food (vv. 3-21)—Moses is repeating the dietary rules on Lev. 11:1-23, albeit in a summarized fashion:
a. What kinds of animals are included as “detestable things”? (vv. 7-8)
b. What kinds of animals are considered clean and edible? (vv. 4-6)
c. What kinds of water-creatures may they eat? (v. 9)
d. What kinds of water-creatures are they not to eat? (v. 10)
e. What kinds of birds are considered unclean and they are not to eat them? (vv. 12-18)
f. What other living creatures are they not to eat? (v. 19)
g. What is the reason given for not allowing the consumption of anything already dead? (see Lev. 5:2 as well)
h. Why then could they give them to foreigners for their consumption? (v. 21)
i. Having considered the various dietary rules, do you think they have to do with health/hygiene reasons? Why or why not?
j. Why then does the New Testament say that all food can be eaten? (Mk. 7:14-20; Acts 10:9-16)
k. Do these dietary rules have anything to do with making a distinction from their neighboring pagan nations? (see today’s Meditative Article)
(3) What might be the reason that they should not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk? (v. 21b — this is a repetition of the law declared in Exod. 23:19)
(4) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
14:22-29—Specific Legislations—Tithes
Now, Moses reiterates the legislation concerning tithing which had been declared in Leviticus 27:30 and Numbers 18:21.
(1) Rules regarding tithe of produce and first-born animals (vv. 22-23)
a. What specific produce are they to set aside? (vv. 22-23)
b. What is the wisdom behind instructing them to set aside a tenth to offer to the Lord each year, as compared to say, 5% or 20%?
c. The offering of the first-born among the herds and flocks has a different reason behind it. What is it? (Refer to Exod. 13:11-16)
d. Where should they present such offerings? (v. 23)
(2) Exceptions (vv. 24-26)
a. What is the exception to the above legislations?
b. What are the principles still maintained by this exception? (v. 26)
(3) The 3rd year’s tithe (vv. 27-29)
a. What should they do with their tithes at the end of the third year? (v. 28)
b. For whose benefit is this legislation made? (v. 29)
c. What is the reason for doing it for the Levites of the town? (v. 27)
d. When then should such benefits be extended to the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows?
e. What promise does the Lord make for their obedience to these legislations?
(4) What important principles should we learn from the above legislations?
15:1-9—Specific Legislations—Cancelling of Debts
(5) How frequently should they cancel debts? (v. 1)
(6) In so doing, what will the community of the people of God be like? (v. 4)
(7) Why does this regulation not apply to foreigners? (v. 3)
(8) If they “fully” obey the Lord, in especially this particular legislation, what lavish promises are made by the Lord to them? (v. 6)
(9) Since this is not a suggestion but a law to be followed, what might prevent them from lending to the needy when the 7th year is approaching? (v. 9)
(10) What other logical or practical reasons might prevent them from lending money to the poor?
(11) On the one hand, Moses says, “there need be no poor people among you” (v. 4), on the other hand, He also acknowledges that, “There will always be poor people in the land” (v. 11).
a. What is Moses trying to say?
b. What if they do not open their heart to the poor and needy? (v. 9b)
c. What important principle can you learn from this regulation?
(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
15:12-18—Specific Legislations—Freeing of Hebrew slaves
(1) Read the regulation of Exodus 21:2-6 concerning the freeing of Hebrew slaves and see what has been added in this reiteration on the same subject.
(2) What then is Moses’ emphasis here? (Note: The seventh year is different from the seventh year of debt cancelling which is a Sabbatical year.)
(3) What is the basis on which Moses urges them to supply the freed slaves liberally with food and animals? (v. 15)
(4) Some masters obviously are reluctant to set these servants free, let alone provide them with food and animals:
a. What reason does Moses give for their compliance with this law? (v. 18)
b. What promise is attached to this law? (v. 18b)
(5) Why would some slaves prefer to stay on with their masters? (v. 16)
(6) How does this speak to our relationship with our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ?
(7) How does this regulation relate to those of debt cancellation (15:1-9) and the 3rd year’s tithe? (14:27-29)
15:19-23—Specific Legislations—Firstborn Animals
(8) The offering of firstborn animals was mentioned earlier in 14:23. Read Exodus 13:11-16 to refresh your memory about the reason behind the giving of the firstborn animals to the Lord.
(9) Here, Moses adds regulations regarding what they should not do before presenting them to the Lord:
a. What shouldn’t they do with firstborn oxen?
b. What shouldn’t they do with firstborn sheep?
c. What is the obvious reason for such stipulations?
d. What is the spiritual implication to them and to us?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) Moses is obviously reiterating the regulations of Passover in summary form, so let’s reflect on each of the highlights which he reiterates:
a. Observe the month of Aviv (or Abib, later on called Nisan): Why? (v. 1)
b. Sacrifice only at the place the Lord will choose as a dwelling for His name: Why? (vv. 2, 5, 6, 7)
c. Do not eat it with bread made of yeast — only unleavened bread, in fact no yeast is to be found in the land for seven days: Why? (vv. 3, 4)
d. No meat is to be left till morning: Why? (v. 4; consider also the heat of Middle East)
e. You must sacrifice in the evening: Why? (vv. 1b, 6b)
f. Hold an (holy) assembly on the 7th day — doing no work and after eating 6 days of unleavened bread: Why?
(2) All in all, what might be the main purpose of reiterating this law?
(3) How does the above reflection speak to you?
16:9-12—Specific Legislations—Festival of the Weeks (see Note 1 below):
(4) As Moses, again, reiterates this regulation in summary form, let’s reflect on each of his emphases:
a. When does it begin? Why? (v. 9)
b. The central act is the giving of a freewill offering: What does it signify? (v. 10)
c. If the year has not had a great harvest, would it still be a time of rejoicing? Why? (v. 11)
d. It must take place at the designated place of God’s dwelling. Why? (v. 11)
e. Who are to celebrate? Why does Moses make such an emphasis? (v. 11)
f. In the celebration, they must remember that they were once slaves in Egypt: Why? (v. 12)
(5) What is the main purpose of reiterating this law?
(6) How does the above reflection speak to you?
16:13-17—Specific Legislations—Feast of Tabernacles (see Note 2 below):
(7) Moses repeats this festival in summary form:
a. When does it begin? Why? (v. 13; also see Lev. 23:34 for the precise date)
b. Who are to celebrate? (v. 14)
c. Why must it take place at the designated place of God’s dwelling? (v. 15)
d. How long and where is it to be celebrated? (v. 15)
e. What is the reason given for the celebration? (v. 15b)
(8) What is the main purpose of reiterating this law?
(9) How does the above reflection speak to you?
(10) Of all the festivals, why does Moses single out these three festivals for “all” their men to appear before the Lord at the designated place of worship? (v. 16)
(11) Why does Moses remind them that when they come to these three festivals, they cannot come empty handed? (v. 17)
(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note 1:
The Feast or Festival of the Weeks is also called the “Feast of Harvest” (Exod. 23:16) and the “Day of Firstfruits” (Num. 28:26). The title, “Pentecost” came into use at a later date and was based on the Greek translation (LXX) of the “fifty days” mentioned in Leviticus 23:16. "Fifty days" consists of seven weeks (49 days) plus the 50th day which is the day of sacred assembly.
Note 2:
The Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths) is also called the Feast of Ingathering (Exod. 23:16; 34:22) and is also a harvest festival, except that it is in autumn when all the produce has been gathered in.
16:18-20; 17:8-13—Specific Legislations—Duties of Judges
(1) Moses is reiterating what he has already declared in 1:13-18, except with the future in view:
a. What is the most important quality of a judge? (16:20)
b. What are the things that can prevent a judge from judging fairly? (16:19)
c. What if the case is beyond his ability to judge or is too serious in nature? (17:8)
d. Why is the verdict from the place which the Lord chooses (i.e. at His Sanctuary) final? (17:10-11)
e. What happens if the verdict from the Sanctuary Tribunal is not accepted or obeyed? (17:12)
f. Why is such disobedience considered an evil to be purged?
g. What is the expected result from such a severe punishment? (17:13)
Specific Legislations—Worship of Other gods (16:21–17:7)
(2) The prohibition (and the destruction) of the Asherah pole and other altars has been dealt with in 7:5 and 12:3 and Moses emphasizes here that the Asherah pole is not be put “beside the altar you build to the Lord” (16:21)
a. What does it refer to?
b. Why does Moses emphasize that these are things “the Lord your God hated”? (16:22)
(3) Moses summarizes the regulations regarding the sacrifice of defective animals of Leviticus 22:17-25 in one verse only (17:1).
a. Why is the sacrifice of such defective animals to the Lord considered “detestable” to Him?
b. Why is this instruction placed within the section dealing with the worship of other gods?
(4) Punishment of idol-worshippers in their midst (17:2-7) — Moses has already dealt with this subject in 4:15-24; 13:1-18 in great detail:
a. Why is it necessary to deal with the idol-worshippers among them so harshly? (v. 7)
b. Why is it necessary to emphasize the need for an investigation, in particular, the need for the presence of testimony of two or three people, and not just one?
c. Why should the hands of witnesses be the first in putting the person to death?
17:14-20—Specific Legislations—Appointment of Kings
(5) Is it God’s desire that Israel should set up a king of their own? (See 1 Sam. 8:6-9)
(6) Why?
(7) Does this instruction by Moses not encourage them to do so? Why or why not?
(8) Prohibitions (vv. 15-17) include:
a. No foreigners can be Israel’s king (v. 15): Why?
b. The king is not to amass great numbers of horses: Why not? (see Ps. 20:7; 33:17; 147:10)
c. The king cannot cause the people to return to Egypt: Why not? (v. 16)
d. The king cannot take many wives: Why not? (v. 17; see 1 Ki. 11:3-4)
e. The king cannot accumulate great wealth: Why not? (v. 17)
(9) Guidelines of a righteous king (vv. 18-20):
a. He is to write for himself a copy of the law (v. 18): Why?
b. Apart from copying the law himself, how should he treat the law so copied? Why? (vv. 19, 20)
c. What is meant by not considering himself better than his fellow people? How important is this trait as a king? (v. 20)
d. What is God’s promise for a righteous king? (v. 20)
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
18:1-8—Specific Legislations—Rights of Levitical Priests (see Note below)
(1) Vv. 1-2: Applicable to all Levites:
a. As they are about to enter the Promised Land, why does Moses choose to remind them that “the whole tribe of Levi” would have no allotment of land?
b. How are they going to survive?
c. What is the implication to them that “the Lord is their inheritance”?
(2) Vv. 3-5 apply to Levites who are priests:
a. What are the provisions that the Lord will give them through the people?
b. How would you look at such an arrangement?
- A humbling experience that their livelihood should depend on the faithfulness of the people to the command of God.
- A life of faith
- A Great privilege to solely devote yourself to serving God without worries about livelihood
(3) Vv. 6-8: An out-of-town Levite on the move
a. What motivates such a Levite to move to serve in the sanctuary?
b. Although Levites have no land-allotment, presumably they could build and own houses on the pastures assigned to them in the outskirts of the cities (see K&D, 932-3). Since presumably they are a bit more well-off through the sale of their house, why should they have equal share with the local Levites in the house of the Lord?
18:9-13—Specific Legislations—Occult Practices
(4) It is understandable why Moses chooses to remind them not to “imitate the detestable ways of the nations there” (v .9).
a. What in particular does Moses highlight in this respect?
b. Why would Moses choose this issue to emphasize that, “You must be blameless before the Lord your God”? (v. 13)
18:14-22—Specific Legislations—A Prophet Raised up by God—While prohibiting them from following the detestable practices of the nations which include sorcery or divination, Moses points out that the Lord will provide them with His own prophets instead:
(5) The prophet—Moses appears to be talking about a particular prophet in the future (vv. 16-19)
a. What might be the meaning of being “like me”?
b. Where will He come from?
c. Why does Moses use the incident at Horeb as the context to foretell the raising up of this prophet by God? (Exod. 20:19)
d. How does the Apostle Peter interpret who this prophet is? (Acts 3:22-24)
(6) True or false prophets (vv. 20-22)
a. How should they deal with false prophets? (v. 20)
b. Taking both v. 20 and v. 22 together, how can one tell if the prophet is true or false? (see also 13:1-5)
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
It appears that “some Levites were priests and some were not; if such was the case, then a distinction would have to be made in the following verses…(with) vv. 1-2…referring to all Levites, vv. 3-5 referring to Levitical priests, and vv. 6-8 referring to Levites who would not normally function as priests” (NICOT, 258). Other legislations concerning the Levites have already been dealt with in Deuteronomy 10:8-9; 12:12, 18, 19; 14:27, 29; 16:11, 14; 17:9, 18.
19:1-13—Specific Legislations—Setting up of Cities of Refuge West of Jordan
(1) It is helpful to read 4:41-43: How many cities had already been set up before the reiteration of this legislation concerning cities of refuge? Why were they setup?
(2) Now, Moses is talking about the setting up of the cities of refuge west of Jordan: Read Numbers 35:6-34 for the original declaration of this legislation.
(3) What is the purpose of this legislation? (vv. 3-5)
(4) Why is the distance to one of the three cities of importance? (vv. 6-7)
(5) Where did Joshua subsequently set up the three cities of refuge? (see Jos. 20:7)
(6) Take a look at the map in your Bible (or another one): Do the three cities fit the criterion set by Moses in terms of their distance?
(7) Why does Moses tell them to set up an additional three cities of refuge in the future? (vv. 8-10—Note: historically, it appears that they never set up these three additional cities of refuge.)
(8) How does the setting up of these cities of refuge speak to God’s character?
(9) How might this legislation be abused? (v. 11)
(10) How should they deal with such an abuse? (vv. 12-13)
19:15-21—Specific Legislations—Testimony of Witnesses
(11) How then could they judge, for instance, whether the killing is unintentional or premeditated? (v. 15)
(12) Who will be the judges in such cases? (vv. 16-17)
(13) How should the tribunal judge their cases? (v. 18)
(14) In the passing of judgment by the tribunal, what is the principle they should apply? (v. 21)
(15) What would such a verdict do to the well-being of the community? (v. 20)
19:14—Specific Legislations—Moving of a Boundary Stone
(16) What is the likely motive in moving one’s neighbor’s boundary stone?
(17) What will such an action lead to according to 27:17?
(18) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?