Essay on Bible: The Book of Deuteronomy

According to the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy, the Hebrews were promised that as long as they followed the Ten Commandments that God had given to them through Moses, they would be blessed with prosperity and good fortune. However, if the Hebrews failed to follow God’s instructions, they would be cursed with a plethora of disaster and disease.

The book of Deuteronomy is the second reading of the law. It is located in the Old Testament and is the last book of Pentateuch. Deuteronomistic theories of interpretation are utilized as a means to better comprehend the relationship between God and the people of Israel and their implications at the time of publication. Deuteronomistic history is composed of many works, contributed by various individuals. The earliest writings were dated as early as 609 BC and the final edition was completed during the post exhilic period. (1) The adoption of both the earlier and the later versions greatly contributes to the difficulty surrounding the ideal meaning and its interpretation. Chapter ten of the book of Deuteronomy

Throughout history many have tenaciously challenged to dishonor the Word of God. One argument used in subjective efforts to discredit God’s word is the view that the Bible supports a misogynistic treatment of women. For example, in Genesis 4:19 men such as Lamech practice polygamy and others sell their daughters as in Exodus 21:7-8. We see Lot willing to trade his own two daughters to save the angels that appeared in Sodom. In Genesis 19:1-11 and 19:30-38 we see the women are treated horribly and as possessions. In Genesis, Deuteronomy 21 and Numbers 5 women are treated abusively.

My ancestors, along with many other African Americans living in society today are decedents of African slaves. I can remember as far back as age 5 listening to the elders in my family talk about slavery. The word slavery originated when millions of African men and women were forcible taken from their families and the familiar surroundings of their African villages. Brought here to an unfamiliar environment and forced to work on plantations in different parts of the United States, usually from sun up to sun down. the transatlantic slave trade formally began in 1518, when King Charles I of Spain sanctioned the direct importation of Africans to his colonies in the America. The transatlantic slave trade became a lucrative international

The depiction of women in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament reinforces the patriarchal norms of the society in which the Bible demonstrated.

Studying the Old Testament is not as straightforward as some may think. Being able to recall stories of the Bible does not necessarily mean you have a thorough grasp on the history of Israel and the surrounding nations. Some people read and discuss the Bible without a solid understanding of the history and social issues that were going on at the time. Being able to relate to the stories in the Bible and struggle with some of the same problems faced by the people in the Bible gives you a greater appreciation for the works in the Bible. I feel that having a firm understanding of all the related history of Israel gives a student of the Old Testament a far greater understanding of why these stories are in the Bible and what was meant to

The Bible, because it is written by men for men, often presents a hierarchal model of relationships between genders and on many occasions, omits women from narratives

In chapter two, Dynastic Covenant, Kline answers several errant views of the nature and meaning of Deuteronomy. Kline shows that the basic structure of the book is actually covenantal: preamble (1:1-5), prologue (1:6-4:49), stipulations (5-26), curses and blessings (27-30), and succession arrangements (31-34).

The New Covenant was the hope of Israel. They would have to endure years of bondage and discipline because of their disobedience. Jeremiah wrote, “All your lovers have forgotten you, they do not seek; for I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the punishment of a cruel one, because your iniquity is great and your sins are numerous” (Jer. 30: 14). It was not because God wanted to punish Israel, but it was there continued disobedience, as well as their rejection of the Messiah. “The new covenant, foretold by the prophet Jeremiah, explains how God’s people Israel will enjoy the kingdom blessings. It is through a regenerated heart.”

Deuteronomy stresses the theme of obedience. After 38 years of wandering the desert, the people who disobeyed God by not going over to the promised land died. This was the time that God let the new generation cross over in the Promised Land to Canaan. This was the covenant that God made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob many years before.

Translators have struggled with the exact wording of Deuteronomy 6:4, but all agree, it is teaching that their is only one God. The verse is the Hebrew Sh'ma, and it says, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD". Throughout the Old Testament's history of Israel, The Jews struggled with religious syncretism. God knew the nature of humankind and His people, and so He begins His commands with the understanding that He is the only God; He alone demands their worship and obedience. Because there is only one God, they were to love Him with all their being, as Deuteronomy 64:5 says. It would be impossible to love God with all one's being, or with every part of oneself, if there was more than one God.

Moreover, a recurring time motif used to illustrate “Deuteronomy” as the results of hard-work, rather than inspiration, is expressed in the text in the comparison of history to a game of cat’s cradle. In this metaphor, the narrator proposes that, “History should be a […] game for playing,” and, like the strings of the cat’s cradle, by association, the figurative “strings of time” can be “clawed at, chewed at, and rearranged” into new patterns (Winterson 93). This idea of “rearranging,” as the act of “moving (something) into a more acceptable position,” is particularly significant because it indicates a view of time that is not just possible to review, but is also malleable (OED). Through this, “Deuteronomy” can be seen as a conscious chapter

The historical prologue provides the platform for God to recount the marvelous acts He did for His people. Its importance is that it retraces the journey from Sinai to Moab and solidifies His claim on Israel. Despite their disobedience, God brought them to Moab to restate His covenant promise (“Lecture 7,” 2015). C. General Stipulations Deuteronomy

For those who don't understand the purpose of studying Torah, Ki Teitzei can seem like dry reading of a bunch of rules that few Christians understand, let alone believe are still relevant. Seventy-four of the Torah’s 613 commandments (mitzvots) are in this week's Torah portion. For the sake of containing the content of this lesson inside an article, instead of a book, I want to focus on just Deuteronomy 21:10-13.

Chapters four thru six of Deuteronomy has Moses going through the laws, statutes and commands that God had given to the Israelites. The Israelites knew the law and commands but these chapter emphasize His people to remember and obey what God had commanded. They were instructed to remember God’s personal intervention in leading them out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, the miracles in the wilderness, and the lessons of their fathers who died there.