READ IT! - Introduction to Deuteronomy 32-34

Readings for this week

Monday: Deuteronomy 32

Tuesday: Deuteronomy 33

Wednesday: Deuteronomy 34

Thursday: Mark 1

Friday: Mark 2

Saturday: Mark 3

Sunday: Mark 4

Introduction to Deuteronomy 32-34

Chapter 32

The Song of Moses is thought to be the oldest text within Deuteronomy.

It explains that in the beginning, “El Elyon” divided up the peoples of the earth and gave them land according to the number of “the sons of God.”

This song seems to indicate:

The gods of other nations were living deities
God allowed the different peoples to practice polytheism.
Israel’s God is above all of these other deities
He chose Israel out of all the peoples to be His chosen people.
It was in God’s plan that other nations would worship other gods, but that Israel would worship Him alone.

Other texts show Israel’s role in the world to be to introduce the rest of the peoples of the earth to their God, but they often failed at this task.

Chapter 33

Moses blesses the tribes…

Reuben
“Let Reuben live and not die…”

Judah
“Help him!”

Levi
He guards your covenant
He teaches your precepts to Israel
He offers incense before you

Simeon
Not mentioned... perhaps because by the time the scribes got around to writing this down no one was repeating blessings for Simeon, because Simeon had been absorbed by Judah.

Benjamin
He is a shield

Joseph
All good blessings go to Joseph
He is a prince among his brothers
Ephraim and Manasseh are very numerous

Zebulun and Issachar
Zebulun “goes out”
Issachar stays in his tent
Both will be rich

Gad
He chose the best land
He’s a leader
He’s a ferocious lion

Dan
He’s a lion’s cub

Naphtali
“…he will inherit southward to the lake.”

Asher
Your brothers will favor you
You will be very strong

Chapter 34

The end of Deuteronomy is seen as a eulogy honoring Moses. The text says that Moses climbed to the top of Mount Nebo and viewed the Promised Land, but did not enter it. He died on top of the mountain at the age of 120, but the text says that despite his age he was still “vibrant” and full of life. The text also says that God himself buried Moses and that no one knows where he is buried. The text says that since then, no prophet has ever been as great as Moses.