What makes a nation great is generally what it achieves, its political power, the surface of its land, its exploits in war, or its wealth. Nothing of that sort characterizes the nation of Israel when the people hear Moses’ compliment. Moses’ rhetorical question, “What other nation is so great?” (Deut. 4:8, NIV), implies that this is the greatest nation on earth. This people of former slaves, of homeless migrants, hardly fit the definition of “a great nation.” What makes Israel so great is not what it did or did not do; it is not who the nation is or is not. It is God. A story about Prussian King Frederick II captures this mystery. The king asked his personal physician, “Could you give me at least one single evidence of the existence of God?” The man answered, “Your Majesty, Israel.” (For the diverse sources of this anecdote, see Steven Paas, Christian Zionism Examined [Eugene, OR: Resource Publications, 2019].) Indeed, Moses’ description of the grandeur of Israel baffles our mind. It is all about God and His laws.
Lesson Themes:
The lesson this week will reflect on this mystery and will revolve around three main themes:
• The law is perfect. There is nothing to add and nothing to take away.
• The law is wise. The vibrant and intelligent life of the keeper of the law testifies to the Creator.
• The law is divine. Unless Israel “cleaves” to God, it will not benefit from that law and will not be “a great nation.”
Part II: Commentary
As we study the value and the authority of the ancient laws of Moses, we will consider whether they are still relevant for modernity. We do not understand the nature of this law if we reduce it to a set of chores that will alienate human beings and deprive them of their judgment and freedom. The reason why Israel should “ ‘turn to the Lord [their] God and obey His voice’ ” (Deut. 4:30, NKJV) and accept the law with all their intelligence is so that the people “may live” (Deut. 4:1), blossom, and fulfill themselves as human beings. God, the Creator, has given the recipe for life, through the law, precisely because, as the Creator, He knows the formula of Israel’s being.
A Different Law
Because the law comes from heaven (Deut. 4:36), it is designed to be different from all other laws. Although there are some commonalities between the law given by Moses and the laws of the surrounding cultures, there are fundamental differences between the two systems. Recent research has revealed, in fact, many important differences between the two systems of laws. In Babylon, the death penalty was required for some thefts, while the Bible requires financial compensation. In Moses’ law, human life prevailed over material values, and the law was the same for all persons. More important, Moses’ laws differ from other eastern laws in that Mosaic law always refers to God. While in Middle Eastern legal documents the reference to God is rare and occasional and only formal, in the introduction, and sometimes in the conclusion, biblical laws are imbued with this reference to God, which is used as a leitmotif throughout the text. The law is not the result of human consultations and elaborations. The law is received as a gift; it is a revelation from above. The importance in the Bible of the so-called apodictic laws—that is, laws that are absolutely normative—is significant. Biblical laws speak with authority, and this style is all the more striking as the legal literature of the ancient Near East is dominated by casuistic laws. The commandments “thou shall not kill” or “thou shall not commit adultery” (Exod. 20:13, 14) fall absolute and sharp. The law of God is not justified on the basis of a logical process. Only the experience of obedience will allow us to verify its rightness. In casuistic laws, we know why the law is right before having experienced it, while in the apodictic laws of Israel we know it afterward. Israel’s response to the gift of the law accounts for this process: “We shall do, then we shall understand” (Exod. 19:8, author’s translation). The law of Moses is thus different from all the others, for it implies a dimension that is absent elsewhere. Israel will obey by faith.
A Universal Law
The law of Moses is not described as an expression of Israel’s specific culture and wisdom. Moses clearly makes that point in referring to the cosmic horizon and to the past Creation, even before the apparition of Israel: “ ‘Ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, . . . and ask from one end of heaven to the other’ ” (Deut. 4:32, NKJV). This universal intention of the law also is testified within the law itself. One of the most eloquent signs of the universal invitation of this law is its reference to Creation. It is noteworthy that in the Decalogue, the Sabbath, the memorial of Creation, is situated in its geometric and thematic center. That is the very place where the seal was put in ancient covenant documents. This position of the Sabbath suggests that the awareness of God as the Creator lies at the heart of the Ten Commandments, which also echo the ten words of Creation (see the ten “God said” statements in Genesis 1).
Likewise, the dietary laws of kosher, which distinguish between clean and unclean meats, remind us of Genesis 1. Indeed, the language of Leviticus 11, which records these laws, uses the same technical words and stylistic expressions (beasts of the earth, creeping animals, after its kind, etc.). Furthermore, the listing of the animals in Leviticus 11:2–8 follows the same sequence as in Genesis 1:24–26 (the sixth day of Creation). For example, the creation of humans is related successively to the creation of the animals of water (Lev. 11:9–12; compare Gen. 1:26), followed by the creation of the animals of the air (Lev. 11:13–23; compare Gen. 1:26), and finally the animals of the earth and the reptiles (Lev. 11:24–43; compare Gen. 1:26). Last, in Leviticus 11, as in Genesis 1:24–26, the relation between humans and animals has its counterpart in the relation between humans and God. In Genesis 1:26, the duty to exercise dominion over the animals is associated with the fact that humans are created in the image of God. Likewise, in Leviticus 11, the duty to distinguish between clean and unclean meats is associated with the fact that human holiness reflects divine holiness: “ ‘You shall be holy; for I am holy’ ” (Lev. 11:44, 45, NKJV).
Applicable Law
Because they are related to Creation, the religious and moral laws of the Decalogue, as well as the dietary laws of clean and unclean meat, are universal and therefore still applicable to any human being. The so-called ceremonial laws, which are related to the temple and the sacrifices, were bound to disappear with it. As for the circumstantial laws, which are mostly casuistic, they also were bound to lose their normative character as soon as the “circumstances” that generated them did not exist anymore. This is, for instance, the case for the laws concerning the slaves and the way to dress, to till the land, to organize, and to administer the city. These last two categories of laws (ceremonial and circumstantial) were not designed to be observed forever. On the other hand, the Decalogue and the dietary laws do not belong to the ceremonial laws or to the circumstantial laws. These laws have nothing to do with the sacrifices.
In fact, any law that is neither ceremonial nor circumstantial maintains its status as an absolute law. This is the case for the laws of sexuality, hygiene, relations with neighbors, et cetera; most of these laws extend and explicate the laws already contained in the Decalogue. The law of Israel comprehends, then, two laws: an absolute and universal law and a relative law that depends on times and circumstances. This distinction is found again in the New Testament, wherein texts that speak about the abolition of the law are balanced with many other texts that exalt it. While the early Christians who were religious Jews were led to cancel the laws of sacrifices because they referred to the coming Messiah, they never questioned the law of the Decalogue, which Jesus had even deepened and extended in its application. It is the same for the dietary laws concerning the consumption of meat (Kasherut), which are alluded to in the apostolic recommendations “ ‘to abstain . . . from things strangled, and from blood’ ” (Acts 15:20, NKJV; compare Lev. 17:14). From these observations, it follows that the principle of law in religious life remains valid for the Christian as well as for the Jew.
Part III: Life Application
The Test of Wisdom
Read Deuteronomy 4:6: “ ‘Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people” ’ ” (NKJV).
Discussion and Thought Questions: From what you understand in the preceding verse, what is in yourself that should be an evidence of the divine providence? Do people say about you that you are “a wise and understanding people”? Why don’t they say that about you? What should you do to fulfill the promise in Deuteronomy 4:6? How do you explain that intelligence and true wisdom are not really values in traditional Christianity?
How to Read the Scriptures
Read Deuteronomy 4:2.
1. Make a list of new traditions in other Christian denominations that have been added to the law of God.
What justifications have been found for these additions?
Do we, as Seventh-day Adventists, also create new habits and principles that have not been included in the Law of Moses? List them, if you can, and explain why you think you are justified to observe them, although they are not a part of the biblical requirements.
What hermeneutic principle do you infer from Deuteronomy 4:2? Why is it important to read the biblical text completely? What biblical texts do you tend to dismiss (for example, Old Testament versus the Gospels, Ecclesiastes versus Pentateuch), and why? Search for reasons why you should include them in your reading of the Scriptures.
Notes
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Key Text: Deuteronomy 4:8
Study Focus: Deut. 4:1–8, Deut. 4:32–35, Deut. 12:32, Matt. 5:13–16, Matt. 15:1–9.
Part I: Overview
What makes a nation great is generally what it achieves, its political power, the surface of its land, its exploits in war, or its wealth. Nothing of that sort characterizes the nation of Israel when the people hear Moses’ compliment. Moses’ rhetorical question, “What other nation is so great?” (Deut. 4:8, NIV), implies that this is the greatest nation on earth. This people of former slaves, of homeless migrants, hardly fit the definition of “a great nation.” What makes Israel so great is not what it did or did not do; it is not who the nation is or is not. It is God. A story about Prussian King Frederick II captures this mystery. The king asked his personal physician, “Could you give me at least one single evidence of the existence of God?” The man answered, “Your Majesty, Israel.” (For the diverse sources of this anecdote, see Steven Paas, Christian Zionism Examined [Eugene, OR: Resource Publications, 2019].) Indeed, Moses’ description of the grandeur of Israel baffles our mind. It is all about God and His laws.
Lesson Themes:
The lesson this week will reflect on this mystery and will revolve around three main themes:
• The law is perfect. There is nothing to add and nothing to take away.
• The law is wise. The vibrant and intelligent life of the keeper of the law testifies to the Creator.
• The law is divine. Unless Israel “cleaves” to God, it will not benefit from that law and will not be “a great nation.”
Part II: Commentary
As we study the value and the authority of the ancient laws of Moses, we will consider whether they are still relevant for modernity. We do not understand the nature of this law if we reduce it to a set of chores that will alienate human beings and deprive them of their judgment and freedom. The reason why Israel should “ ‘turn to the Lord [their] God and obey His voice’ ” (Deut. 4:30, NKJV) and accept the law with all their intelligence is so that the people “may live” (Deut. 4:1), blossom, and fulfill themselves as human beings. God, the Creator, has given the recipe for life, through the law, precisely because, as the Creator, He knows the formula of Israel’s being.
A Different Law
Because the law comes from heaven (Deut. 4:36), it is designed to be different from all other laws. Although there are some commonalities between the law given by Moses and the laws of the surrounding cultures, there are fundamental differences between the two systems. Recent research has revealed, in fact, many important differences between the two systems of laws. In Babylon, the death penalty was required for some thefts, while the Bible requires financial compensation. In Moses’ law, human life prevailed over material values, and the law was the same for all persons. More important, Moses’ laws differ from other eastern laws in that Mosaic law always refers to God. While in Middle Eastern legal documents the reference to God is rare and occasional and only formal, in the introduction, and sometimes in the conclusion, biblical laws are imbued with this reference to God, which is used as a leitmotif throughout the text. The law is not the result of human consultations and elaborations. The law is received as a gift; it is a revelation from above. The importance in the Bible of the so-called apodictic laws—that is, laws that are absolutely normative—is significant. Biblical laws speak with authority, and this style is all the more striking as the legal literature of the ancient Near East is dominated by casuistic laws. The commandments “thou shall not kill” or “thou shall not commit adultery” (Exod. 20:13, 14) fall absolute and sharp. The law of God is not justified on the basis of a logical process. Only the experience of obedience will allow us to verify its rightness. In casuistic laws, we know why the law is right before having experienced it, while in the apodictic laws of Israel we know it afterward. Israel’s response to the gift of the law accounts for this process: “We shall do, then we shall understand” (Exod. 19:8, author’s translation). The law of Moses is thus different from all the others, for it implies a dimension that is absent elsewhere. Israel will obey by faith.
A Universal Law
The law of Moses is not described as an expression of Israel’s specific culture and wisdom. Moses clearly makes that point in referring to the cosmic horizon and to the past Creation, even before the apparition of Israel: “ ‘Ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, . . . and ask from one end of heaven to the other’ ” (Deut. 4:32, NKJV). This universal intention of the law also is testified within the law itself. One of the most eloquent signs of the universal invitation of this law is its reference to Creation. It is noteworthy that in the Decalogue, the Sabbath, the memorial of Creation, is situated in its geometric and thematic center. That is the very place where the seal was put in ancient covenant documents. This position of the Sabbath suggests that the awareness of God as the Creator lies at the heart of the Ten Commandments, which also echo the ten words of Creation (see the ten “God said” statements in Genesis 1).
Likewise, the dietary laws of kosher, which distinguish between clean and unclean meats, remind us of Genesis 1. Indeed, the language of Leviticus 11, which records these laws, uses the same technical words and stylistic expressions (beasts of the earth, creeping animals, after its kind, etc.). Furthermore, the listing of the animals in Leviticus 11:2–8 follows the same sequence as in Genesis 1:24–26 (the sixth day of Creation). For example, the creation of humans is related successively to the creation of the animals of water (Lev. 11:9–12; compare Gen. 1:26), followed by the creation of the animals of the air (Lev. 11:13–23; compare Gen. 1:26), and finally the animals of the earth and the reptiles (Lev. 11:24–43; compare Gen. 1:26). Last, in Leviticus 11, as in Genesis 1:24–26, the relation between humans and animals has its counterpart in the relation between humans and God. In Genesis 1:26, the duty to exercise dominion over the animals is associated with the fact that humans are created in the image of God. Likewise, in Leviticus 11, the duty to distinguish between clean and unclean meats is associated with the fact that human holiness reflects divine holiness: “ ‘You shall be holy; for I am holy’ ” (Lev. 11:44, 45, NKJV).
Applicable Law
Because they are related to Creation, the religious and moral laws of the Decalogue, as well as the dietary laws of clean and unclean meat, are universal and therefore still applicable to any human being. The so-called ceremonial laws, which are related to the temple and the sacrifices, were bound to disappear with it. As for the circumstantial laws, which are mostly casuistic, they also were bound to lose their normative character as soon as the “circumstances” that generated them did not exist anymore. This is, for instance, the case for the laws concerning the slaves and the way to dress, to till the land, to organize, and to administer the city. These last two categories of laws (ceremonial and circumstantial) were not designed to be observed forever. On the other hand, the Decalogue and the dietary laws do not belong to the ceremonial laws or to the circumstantial laws. These laws have nothing to do with the sacrifices.
In fact, any law that is neither ceremonial nor circumstantial maintains its status as an absolute law. This is the case for the laws of sexuality, hygiene, relations with neighbors, et cetera; most of these laws extend and explicate the laws already contained in the Decalogue. The law of Israel comprehends, then, two laws: an absolute and universal law and a relative law that depends on times and circumstances. This distinction is found again in the New Testament, wherein texts that speak about the abolition of the law are balanced with many other texts that exalt it. While the early Christians who were religious Jews were led to cancel the laws of sacrifices because they referred to the coming Messiah, they never questioned the law of the Decalogue, which Jesus had even deepened and extended in its application. It is the same for the dietary laws concerning the consumption of meat (Kasherut), which are alluded to in the apostolic recommendations “ ‘to abstain . . . from things strangled, and from blood’ ” (Acts 15:20, NKJV; compare Lev. 17:14). From these observations, it follows that the principle of law in religious life remains valid for the Christian as well as for the Jew.
Part III: Life Application
The Test of Wisdom
Read Deuteronomy 4:6: “ ‘Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people” ’ ” (NKJV).
Discussion and Thought Questions: From what you understand in the preceding verse, what is in yourself that should be an evidence of the divine providence? Do people say about you that you are “a wise and understanding people”? Why don’t they say that about you? What should you do to fulfill the promise in Deuteronomy 4:6? How do you explain that intelligence and true wisdom are not really values in traditional Christianity?
How to Read the Scriptures
Read Deuteronomy 4:2.
1. Make a list of new traditions in other Christian denominations that have been added to the law of God.
What justifications have been found for these additions?
Do we, as Seventh-day Adventists, also create new habits and principles that have not been included in the Law of Moses? List them, if you can, and explain why you think you are justified to observe them, although they are not a part of the biblical requirements.
What hermeneutic principle do you infer from Deuteronomy 4:2? Why is it important to read the biblical text completely? What biblical texts do you tend to dismiss (for example, Old Testament versus the Gospels, Ecclesiastes versus Pentateuch), and why? Search for reasons why you should include them in your reading of the Scriptures.
Notes