| DEUTERONOMY |
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| In chapters 27-33 Moses gave a final summing up, a farewell charge from an old man facing certain death. As clearly as he could, he presented the choices facing the Israelites. He would not be with them as they chose their future. They were on their own; they held their destiny in their own hands. |
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| How to read Deuteronomy |
| Early in this century archaeologists began turning up samples of New Eastern treaties. These "suzerainty treaties" set down in official form the relationship between a powerful king and the people he ruled over. Such treaties shed new light on the book of Deuteronomy, which seems to follow very closely the pattern of such a treaty. Typically, a treaty with a powerful king consisted of the following elements: 1. A preamble identifying the parties of the treaty, such as a king and a small cluster of tribes who want his protection. 2. A capsule history describing previous relations between the two parties. 3. Rules defining each party's obligations. The king may swear to defend some tribes with his armies in return for allegiance, taxes, and a percentage of produce. 4. Witnesses to the treaties, including, in many cases, a list of gods. 5. Curses and blessings specifying what will take place if one of the parties breaks the treaty. The king may promise the people prosperity and peace if they keep the terms, but invasion, deportation, or death if they break them. Read Deuteronomy as an example of a treaty between a king and his people. Treaty is another word for the one we have been using - covenant - to describe the formal agreement between God and the Israelites. With a little work, you can identify various portions of Deuteronomy that parallel the five elements above. Chapters 1-11 and 27-34 contain the best summary of Moses' speeches to the Israelites. He holds back no emotion as he |