Deuteronomy #11

The end of Deuteronomy is the end of the Pentateuch and it is ominous, for, in his Song, Moses already foresees Israel's betrayal and the harsh consequences to follow.

Moses calls heaven and earth as witnesses. Indeed, every lawsuit requires two witnesses who are upright and agree in their testimony, and what heaven and earth will witness is one: the constancy of God's love and the vagaries of his chosen people.

Despite his best efforts and despite the years spent in the wilderness, Israel will not be able to stay faithful to the covenant. This conclusion is not a proclamation of defeat; rather it is the assurance that God knows beforehand that Israel will betray him and therefore he has already factored these betrayals as part of his mysterious plan of salvation.

The same holds true in our lives today. Before we were born, God knew us, therefore he knew our weaknesses, our sins, and our inability to keep to the straight and true. But like Israel, if we come back to him with all our heart, our mind, and our will, he is always ready to forgive and restore, to give us what we have lost and multiply it to the greater glory of his Name.

Deuteronomy #10

Moses has presented all the terms of the second covenant to the people (4: 44–26: 19; 28). He now summons them to ratify it

Having called Israel to ratify the covenant, Moses reminds Israel, once more, of the Exodus from Egypt and explains that the reason why God allowed Israel to wander in the desert for forty years was to teach them their ways, for there were no other means for them to learn and accept this truth.

These experiences in the desert should be passed on from one generation to the next, to help Israel remain faithful to God. Moses wants the wandering in the wilderness to be seen in its proper supernatural context: God did not act simply to reward or punish the generation of the Exodus: he wanted that experience to serve as an example for later generations that did not live the Exodus. Thus, the passing on of the traditions becomes a key element in the passing on of the faith in the one true God; a lesson Israel will be quick to forget with disastrous consequences.

So it is with us, today. As Catholics, we must always hold fast to the truth of the faith, to the testimony of the saints that have come before us and we must strive to teach our children the truth of the Catholic faith, lest God treats us the way he treated the Churches he had spoken to in the Book of Revelation.

Deuteronomy #9

Having completed his discourse on the laws that should govern Israel, Moses reminds Israel of the necessity of obedience: obedience to these laws is obedience to God. Moses warns the Israelites: Do not obey the law as if it were a mere legal code instead show your love of God by obeying.

"This day the LORD your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances; you shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day concerning the LORD that he is your God and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his ordinances, and will obey his voice; and the LORD has declared this day concerning you that you are a people for his own possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments." Deut. 26:16-18

In these three verses, we see that, in Moses's eyes, the law is not mere legality; it is the basis of a marital covenant between God and his people, Israel. This bond is everlasting for God's word will never be broken, and if everlasting, then the source of principle of life for Israel. Thus, idolatry is spiritual adultery.

Moses's words are not meant for Israel only. They are even more applicable for the Church, the New Israel. By studying his words we gain a greater appreciation of the mysterious relation between Christ and his Church.

Deuteronomy #8

This lecture continues the study of laws pertaining to ordinary everyday lives in the context of ancient Israel. It covers forbidden relationships, the sanctity of the military camp, and other related laws.

All along, in the book of Deuteronomy, Moses's focus remains the sanctification of Israel. His singular focus is proper modes of worship before the Lord and therefore appropriate behavior in all walks of life.

It is sometimes tempting to focus on the specifics of each law and lose track of the big picture: why were these laws given in the first place?

The laws addressing forbidden relationships are less about what is being forbidden and more about what is the proper conduct before the Lord. Moses knows that he was prevented from entering into the Promised Land by his disobedience and this singular event colors his reflection in Deuteronomy. He wants Israel to be obedient, faithful, and morally upright before the Lord because God deserves nothing less. He knows God is holy, supremely so, and he wants Israel to mirror this holiness so that God may be honored and Israel may live in peace

This imperative, this call to holiness is no less urgent today. "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect," the Lord commands us and by studying the laws enacted by Moses we deepen our understanding of this holiness the Lord wants us to attain.

Deuteronomy #7

Having dealt with civil and religious authorities, Moses turns his attention in chapters 20-22 to the lives of ordinary people and legislates on warfare, murder, and the family.

Moses understands that unless the law becomes part of daily living it will remain just that a law that could be forgotten and discarded. He begins his teaching by covering areas close to the heart of the ordinary Israelite: domestic animals, clothing, houses, and vineyards -- all things pertaining to income and shelter. He continues by legislating on the proper moral conduct between the sexes and offers laws to regulate sexual conduct.

It must be borne in mind that Moses's focus is not sex -- that's a modern focus by the society of the early twenty-first century which has become sex-obsessed. Moses's focus is the family. He wants it protected and wants people to live happy healthy lives within their families.

Jesus will keep the same focus when he sanctified marriage at Cana of Galilee. The family was back then, and is still now, the bedrock of civilizations.

Deuteronomy #6

What is the relationship between civil and religious authorities? As we shall see in this lecture, the separation between Church and State did not start in the United States; it started in Deuteronomy.

In these chapters, Moses enacts laws that govern the annual religious cycle of festivals, and then he introduces laws that govern civil and religious authorities. Further, he specifically warns those in power against the temptation of false worship to acquire greater power. Even though, Israel as of yet has no king, Moses, foreseeing what Israel would want, discusses the conduct of the King.

This may seem strange until we realize that Israel had lived under a king for 400 years in Egypt. That was the only political model they knew and as their past behavior demonstrated with the event of the golden calf, the Egyptian model of cult and government would always be a strong attraction for Israel. Moses, having lived among them for forty years would have figured out by now that they would want to have a king, just like everyone else around them.

The laws presented here show already a clear distinction between the executive and the judicial and between the civil and religious authorities, where the role of the High Priest remains exalted above that of the King, until the coming of Christ who will unite both in his person.

Deuteronomy #5

Sometimes, as is the case with Deuteronomy Chapters 12 through 15, Scripture seems disorganized and confusing. Whenever this happens, we are better than assuming that the confusion is wholly ours and not Scripture's.

In the section of the law ranging from Chapters 12 through 15, Moses, seemingly, covers a series of disparate and disconnected topics that may prove bewildering, if we insist on imposing upon Scripture a mental framework alien to the text.

One key element to keep in mind when apprehending Scripture: It was primarily declaimed orally to people who did not have the luxury of books and libraries. Therefore, the arrangement of complex topics tends to be directed by vocal associations of ideas, so that if two ideas have similar-sounding keywords, they tend to be grouped together, to make it easier for the listener to retain them.

This pattern teaches us that Scripture must be read with great care, thoughtfully and carefully. Above all, Scripture must always be read with the whole Scripture in mind

Deuteronomy #4

In this sermon (9: 1– 10: 22) Moses continues to address dangers to the faith that might develop as a consequence of the conquest, a theme he began in chapters 7 and 8.

Moses preaches against the feeling of self-righteousness that defeating the Canaanites might engender. He states that victory can be no proof of virtue, for Israel’s history has been one of continuous provocation and rebellion. Nothing but the Canaanites’ wickedness and God’s oath to the patriarchs accounts for Israel’s conquest of Canaan. Moses concludes by calling on Israel not to act rebelliously in the future but to serve God and obey His commandments.

The outstanding example of rebelliousness is the incident of the golden calf, which Moses recalls at great length ( 9: 8– 21, 25– 29, and 10: 1– 11). This incident, in which Israel violated the Decalogue’s commandment against idolatry, almost led to Israel’s extinction.

This sin of self-sufficiency is a real danger to any believer, as Pops Francis reminds us. The Pope recalled that despite Peter's profession of faith, the Gospel of St. Matthew recounts that later on, when Christ announces his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Peter tells Christ that "this shall never happen."

"Peter", Pope Francis said, "is scared, is scandalized; no more and no less than so many Christians who say 'This will never happen! I will follow you until here.' It is a way to follow Jesus to know him until a certain point.

"And this is the temptation of spiritual well-being. We have everything: we have the Church, we have Jesus Christ, the Sacraments, the Virgin Mary, everything, nice work for the Kingdom of Heaven, we are good, everyone. Because at least we need to think this because if we think the contrary, it is sin! But it is not enough to have spiritual well-being until a certain point."

By reflecting on the events that Israel faced, we are led to reflect on our own lives. Are we attributing victories and successes to ourselves and blaming God for failures? The truly Christian soul need to be reminded, like the Israelite, that often times, the truth is that all our successes are God's and our failures, Jesus assumed on the Cross for our sake. Thus, all that we have is Christ.