Tag: Deuteronomy
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Studying Deuteronomy 18 15-22
We are studying a particularly historically contentious text, from the standpoint of the history of interpretation, for Sunday, March 7: Deuteronomy 18:15-22, which includes the promise of a “prophet like Moses” and a test for authenticating non-false prophets. We’ll need some extra sensitivity to “contexts of interpretation” for this one, I expect. [Some questions on…
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Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
For some reason, this weekend turned out to be particularly challenging for my awkward gentile Christian’s crush on Judaism. Maybe because yesterday was Shabbat Shuvah, the shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the shabbat when the Jewish people are specially reminded to turn back towards God and make amends (which is the governing theme…
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Questions for Reflection and Discussion – Deuteronomy 4 1-8, 12-13
We are studying Deuteronomy 4:1-8, 12-13 for Sunday, October 6. This is the beginning of Moses’s transition into the substance of the commandments, with its exhortation to the Israelites (and whoever identifies with the Israelites) to faithfully hear and do the commandments he is passing on to them from God. [Study notes on the text…
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Study Notes – Deuteronomy 4 1-8, 12-13
We are studying Deuteronomy 4:1-8, 12-13 for Sunday, October 6 – World Communion Sunday, when we celebrate the universal and multi-lingual, multi-cultural character of the global church, and also “Shop a Lot” Sunday for our congregation and the congregation that will be joining us in that effort this particular Sunday. So, while we are meditating…
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“You First …”
Talk about “throwing someone under the bus,” here are the People of Israel to Moses: So now why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of YHWH our God any longer, we shall die. For who is there of all flesh that has heard the voice of…
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Obviously Good Rules
Moses tells the Israelites that the Torah will be RECOGNIZABLY good, to outsiders, because “the peoples, … when they hear all these statutes, will say ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!’” (Deuteronomy 4:6) That is, the Torah will recommend itself. In context, this self-recommendation seems to depend on the practice of…
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Study Notes – Deuteronomy 6 1-9
We are studying Deuteronomy 6:1-9 for Sunday, December 2. This is the preamble to the recitation of the law in Deuteronomy, and includes the text of “the Shema,” what has become the central prayer of Judaism, and which Jesus identifies as the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:36 and Mark 12:29-30. Here are my very brief…
Matters of Interpretation 