If you were to ask me for a good analogy or metaphor for understanding why the Bible contains the books which it contains, I would probably say that it’s a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. There is a complete image or story, and each book slots into the whole in a way that only that story can.
One of the most helpful lessons that I have learned over the last few years is the particular shape of Deuteronomy. When it comes to the first five books of the Bible, the Torah or Pentateuch, people usually have a good idea of what’s in Genesis and the first half of Exodus. After that, it’s anyone’s guess because so many reading plans stall out during the painstaking detail of reading the tabernacle instructions.
But for this week, I give to you what Willie Phillip gave to the and me as he took us through Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy is almost a summary of the previous four books and it was written for the children of Israel who were about to enter into the Land of Promise with Joshua as their leader.
It’s called Deuteronomy in our English Bibles because it’s the “Second Reading of the Law”. Which sounds boring, until you remember that this is the way that God’s people are meant to live in God’s place after experiencing God’s rescue in anticipation of God’s blessing and presence.
Here is the entire structure of chapters 5-26 of the book. See if anything looks familiar:
- Loving YHWH alone (5-11)
- No idolatry (12-13)
- The Holy Name (14)
- Sabbath Liberty (15:1-16:17)
- Honouring authority (16:18-18:22)
- Honouring life (19:1-22:12)
- Family purity (22:12-23:14)
- Property relationships (23:15-24:7)
- Impartiality and Truth (24:8-25:4)
- Against covetousness (25:5-26:19)
It is safe to say that God’s word is the greatest literary work that ever has and ever will be written.
Pastor Dan
Notices
Again, keep in mind that our weekly prayer meeting is on hiatus for the month of July. Though we are not meeting together during the week to pray, please do continue to be in prayer for the following things:
- Pray for those in our fellowship who are suffering from poor health as well as for those who are caring for family with poor health. Pray that God would uphold them and that he would use us to encourage and help.
- Pray for those who will be baptised on 31 August. Pray that God would strengthen their faith and that it would be a great celebration of what God is doing in their lives and in the church.
- Be praying for The Journey, a new gathering for anyone in their 20s and 30s. We will be launching this on 4 September and will begin with Life Explored.