Sermon and Worship Resources

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Deuteronomy 21:18-21

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Rectifying Public and Private Wrongs: Each of the five sections of this chapter deals with a situation of human distress or misconduct and seeks either to rectify the wrong or to mitigate its worst effects. We have seen already that this is a characteristic feature of Deuteronomy—part of its “pastoral strategy.” Another feature is that the first and fifth of the laws both require actions that invo...

2. Atonement for an Unsolved Murder

Deuteronomy 21:1-9

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

3. Blessings for Obedience

Deuteronomy 28:1-14

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Blessings and Curses: It is not hard to understand why this is perhaps the most difficult chapter in Deuteronomy for a modern reader to cope with. And yet the fact is that in its ancient context this list of blessings and the even longer list of curses would have been expected at this point. Deuteronomy is structurally modeled on the secular treaty format, and a consistent feature of those treatie...

4. Cities of Refuge

Deuteronomy 4:41-43

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

4:41–43 These verses seem strange at this point, but their effect is to preserve the narrative context within which the speeches that make up Deuteronomy are set. See further the commentary on ch.19.

5. Cities of Refuge (II)

Deuteronomy 19:1-14

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Manslaughter, Murder, and Malice: The whole section 19:1–21:9 may be thematically linked to the sixth commandment, “you shall not murder.” This is clearest in 19:1–13 and 21:1–9, but there are some links in the intervening laws as well, particularly 19:15–21. The organization is not overly tidy, however, and other commandments can be detected; the eighth and tenth, for example (19:14), and the nin...

6. Clean and Unclean Foods

Deuteronomy 14:1-21

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Israel’s Distinctiveness Mirrored in the Home and Farm: It might seem at first sight that the destruction of a whole apostate community and all its property (13:12–16) is worlds away from the question of what you were allowed to cook for lunch, but in fact a common principle governed both—the distinctiveness of Israel as a people wholly and exclusively committed to Yahweh. This principle, which un...

7. Curses for Obedience

Deuteronomy 28:15-68

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

8. Curses from Mount Ebal

Deuteronomy 27:9-26

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Covenant Renewal and Covenant Curse: Structurally, we are moving into the second half of the “inner frame.” Chapter 27 balances chapter 11, thus functioning as a framework for the detailed legislation in chapters 12–25. This is clear not only from the reference in both chapters to the ceremony at Mt. Ebal but also from the emphasis in both on covenant choice and commitment. 27:9–10 These verses re...

9. Defeat of Og King of Bashan

Deuteronomy 3:1-11

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Reminder of Past Victories: The first three chapters of Deuteronomy not only warn the people from past failures but also encourage them from past victories. The words to Joshua near the end of the section (3:21f.) give the point of the whole: God can do again what they had seen God do before, even for other nations. Their God did not lack experience! The structure of the section can be presented a...

10. Defeat of Sihon King of Heshbon

Deut 2:1-23–2:37

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

11. Detestable Practices

Deuteronomy 18:9-13

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Leadership in Israel: Priests and Prophets: After the two sections on “secular” leadership (the judge and the king 16:18–17:20), we now have in Chapter 18 two sections on the “spiritual” leadership provided by the priest and the prophet. The Prophet: The prophet comes last in the listing of Israel’s different leadership roles. Almost certainly this is deliberate and significant, like the putting o...

12. Division of the Land

Deuteronomy 3:12-20

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

13. Do Not Forget the Lord

Deuteronomy 8:1-20

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Not by Bread Alone: Like chapter 7, this chapter is also very skillfully organized in a loose chiastic fashion, with the same “in and out” pattern as in chapter 7. A The land sworn to the forefathers; command given today (v. 1) B Wilderness as place of humbling, testing, and provision (vv. 2–6) C A good land (vv. 7–9) D You will eat and be satisfied (v. 10) E Bless the LORD; Do not forget (v. 11) ...

14. Driving Out the Nations

Deuteronomy 7:1-26

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Israel’s Election and Its Implications: Like several of these opening chapters of Deuteronomy, chapter seven displays a careful stylistic structure, a concentric arrangement of several layers. It begins and ends with the destruction of the Canaanites and their idols (vv. 1–6, 20–26). The reason for that destruction lies in Israel’s distinctive identity and relationship to God, succinctly expressed...

15. Exclusion From the Assembly

Deuteronomy 23:1-8

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Community Laws: Defining and Protecting the Community · These last chapters of the central law code have a “flavor” of concern for a compassionate and caring community that takes seriously the claims of kinship and the needs of the weak and vulnerable. That community itself, however, needs clear definition and measures to protect its religious distinctiveness and purity. This need explains the pre...

16. Fear the Lord

Deuteronomy 10:12-22

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Walk in All God’s Ways: These verses begin the buildup toward the climax of the opening exhortation of the book in chapter 11. Deuteronomy 10:12–22 is unquestionably one of the richest texts in the Hebrew Bible, exalted and poetic in its language, comprehensive and challenging in its message. It purposely tries to “boil down” the whole theological and ethical content of the book into memorable phr...

17. Feast of Tabernacles

Deuteronomy 16:13-17

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Israel’s Rhythm of Celebration: Three Annual Festivals: The sabbatical themes of rest, remembrance, and concern for the poor are all woven into Deuteronomy’s summary of the three major annual festivals, which take their place in what Braulik called the “holy rhythm” of Israel’s life—sabbath days, seasonal festivals, annual and triennial tithes, sabbatical years (“Die Abfolge,” pp. 259ff.)—thus con...

18. Feast of Weeks

Deuteronomy 16:9-12

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

19. Firstborn Animals

Deuteronomy 15:19-23

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

The Sacrifice of Firstborn Animals: 15:19–23 There are several possible reasons why this law is included in this context. One is that the fuller details of the original law (in Exod. 13:11–15; cf. also 22:29f.; 34:19f.; Num. 18:15–18) come in close association with the regulations for the passover, which also follows next in Deuteronomy. Another is that they both have a link in the catchword “firs...

20. Firstfruits and Tithes

Deuteronomy 26:1-15

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Celebration and Commitment: The legislative section of the book (chs. 12–25), which flowed out of a worshipping, grateful response to the acts and gifts of God (1–11), now flows into renewed worship that sanetifies the claim to have obeyed God’s requirements (26:14b). The three sections of this chapter provide a very beautifully balanced expression of the logic and dynamic of the covenant. First (...

21. Follow the Lord's Commands

Deuteronomy 26:16-19

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

22. Freeing Servants

Deuteronomy 15:12-18

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

The Release of Hebrew Slaves: 15:12–18 This law, sometimes called the law of “manumission” (i.e., release from slavery), is also based on the first law in the Book of the Covenant (Exod. 21:2–11). As with the above š e miṭṭâ law, which comes straight after the account of the exodus, it preserves the basic intention of the original law (Hebrew slaves should be granted freedom after six years of ser...

23. Going to War

Deuteronomy 20:1-20

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Policies and Limits in the Conduct of War: This chapter does not pretend to be a manual for military operations and it is hermeneutically futile to read it or criticize it as if it were. Rather, as in the law of the king (which is no manual for government administration either), it is concerned with fundamental principles, principles that must govern Israelites at war as in any sphere of life. The...

24. Idolatry Forbidden

Deuteronomy 4:15-31

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

Obedience and Loyalty to Israel’s Unique God: The historical recollections now give place to urgent exhortation. 4:15–20 This specific warning against idolatry is prefaced with a reminder of the point just made, you saw no form (v. 15). Any attempt, therefore, to make an image as an object of or aid to worship, was bound to be inadequate. But the reason for the prohibition should be carefully expr...

25. Introduction to the Law

Deuteronomy 4:44-49

Understanding Series

Christopher J. H. Wright

4:44–49 These verses introduce the whole following section of the book with a summary of the story already given in more detail in chapters 1–3. Such summary repetition is not uncommon in OT and other ancient Near Eastern narrative texts, and so need not be seen by itself as evidence of different editorial stages.

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