Deuteronomy 1 - 3

These Are The Words
Today's portion is the beginning chapters of Deuteronomy, one of the most beautiful books in the Old Testament.  Written like a covenant between a king and his subjects, it is God's covenant with His chosen people.  Deuteronomy in Hebrew is mishne torah - copy of the law. In some ways it is a retelling of the the law, but this book is much more than that.  Deuteronomy is a first-person address by Moses, a series of speeches of the aged prophet to his attentive audience.

The beginning of the book is moving to me.  1:1, "These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel..."  Contrast this with Exodus 4:10, "But Moses pleaded with the Lord, 'O Lord, I'm not very good with words, I never have been, and I'm not now, even though you have spoken to me, I get tongue-tied , and my words get tangled.'" After 40 years of leading his people, Moses has matured.  Aaron is gone. His sister Miriam is gone. Now, there is Moses preparing to die, but first he has something to say.

In 40 years Moses has learned to talk. He is no longer tongue-tied, questioning the wisdom of the Lord.  What flows forth for the next 24 chapters is pure literary beauty, as inspired as any of the Holy Bible.  He begins by recounting their journey starting at Mt Sinai and the giving of the Law. He tells of their recalcitrance to enter the promised land, a mere 11 days journey from Sinai. He tells how the Lord was angry and vowed to not let those who refused to enter ever see that land.  He even tells of his experience with angering (when he smote the rock) the Lord and how he besought the Lord in earnest to enter, but it was not to be.

There is a tinge of sadness, a pathos, throughout all of Deuteronomy.  There is great victory, but the victory came at an even greater cost.  For Moses, the cost was almost to much to bear.  In a poignant moment of self-disclosure he tells of his pleading in 3:25, "Please let me cross the Jordan to see the wonderful land on the other side."  But the Lord in verse 26 states admantly, "[...] That's enough! ... Speak of it no more."  This sad and futile exchange between the greatest human leader to ever live and the Leader of the Universe sets the tone for all that Moses has to say.  "Do not speak of your own frustrations and failings Moses, speak to my people that which they need to hear!"

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.