I’ve previously written about how I think Deuteronomy, one of the books found in the Old Testament, can be forgotten or overlooked by Christians but should not be because it features a lot more than just a repetition of the laws that God had already given His people. That said, it does include a large number of laws in chapters 12-26 that deal with a wide variety of topics.
There are laws about where one can eat meat (12:15-28) and what kind of meat one can eat (14:3-21). Other laws concern where and how one should worship (12:1-14; 13:6-18; 16:21-17:7) as well as who can enter into those religious gatherings (23:1-8) and when to have some special holidays (16:1-17). In addition to laws about how to treat those who are in debt or poor (15:1-11; 24:10-22), there are laws regulating treatment of slaves (15:12-18; 23:15-26; 24:7) and women captured in war (21:10-14). Some laws reflect legal matter proceedings (17:2-13; 19:1-13; 19:15-21; 21:1-9; 21:22-23; 25:1-4) and the appointment and conduct of those in various positions of leadership (16:18-20; 17:14-20). Others concern war (20:1-20), commerce (23:19-20; 25:13-14), family life (22:15-21), farming practices (22:9-10; 24:19-22), and property matters (19:14; 22:1-4; 22:8; 23:24-25), including matters of inheritance (21:15-17; 22:5-10). There are many laws that regulate personal conduct, particularly in the area of sexuality and marriage (22:13-30; 24:1-5), but also concerning clothing (22:5; 22:11-12). Other laws cover hygiene, as there is discussion of skin diseases (24:8-9) and cleanliness in their camp (23:9-14). This list of topics is not exhaustive and doesn’t even dig into the details of the laws!
Reading through these laws can be difficult for modern-day Christians. At times it is difficult to know what exactly the law is saying or what issue it seeks to address. Some topics discussed don’t seem relevant in today’s world. The directives given in some areas might seem out of step with what seems natural or best in this age. Above all, Christians may wonder if these are laws that they should be following and advocating for in their churches and cultures.
Since these laws may stand in the way of us truly “delighting in Deuteronomy” like Jesus and the early church did, I want to offer some insights to help you understand, appreciate, and learn from these laws that are found in this section of the Bible. This post will look at some overarching principles to remember and consider in reading these laws, and I will then look at some particular laws in the next post.
Remember Their Social-Historical Context
We need to remember that they were given over 3,000 years ago in a culture and world much different from ours. Therefore, rather than comparing them to laws or norms we find in our world today, we should compare them to the world in which they first appeared. Doing so can help us better understand what the law is and is not doing. Here are some examples:
Slavery was a common institution in the ancient world, so finding laws about slaves would not have been shocking to them like it might be to us. Directives to set free those who were enslaved (15:12-18), not to kidnap people into slavery (24:7), and not to return escaped slaves (23:15-16) would be more surprising.
The punishments for disobeying many of the laws often seem harsh, with capital punishment rendered for a lot more offense than people would advocate for today. We are used to prisons built to house criminals but that wasn’t as common in the ancient world.
Marriage practices of the time allowed men to easily discard women and leave them vulnerable and humiliated. The provisions concerning divorce (24:1-5) and marrying women who were prisoners of war (21:10-13) therefore offered some protections for women in marriages that they otherwise would not have.
There was little interaction between unmarried individuals in that social-historical context. In addition, people lived in communities where they could easily hear and know what was happening next door and felt obligated to help. We need to think of that world rather than our own as we read the laws concerning illicit actions between men and women who were not married to each other in 23:22-29 to make sense of them.
In addition, we also need to remember that these laws were given to a people who were leaving Egypt and going into the land of Canaanites. These laws were meant to help them avoid the temptations and idolatrous practices of the Egyptians and Canaanites and to distinguish them from these other peoples. Therefore, some of the areas addressed and details proscribed might stand in contrast to the customs and conduct of these other people.
Remember Their Salvation-Historical Context
These laws were not given to Adam, Noah, or Abraham, but rather to the people of Israel as they were preparing to enter into the land that God had promised them. They had a purpose for a time and a season, providing the framework for which the Israelites would experience blessing in the land or the curse of exile. In the New Testament, we discover that this law was meant to be temporary, serving as a teacher and guardian for a time until Christ came (Galatians 3:19-26).
In giving these laws, God showed the people of Israel that they would not be able to keep them. They show the need for a new covenant in which God would change their hearts so that they can obey them, which God alludes to in Deuteronomy 30. Jesus came as one born under the law, being the only one to keep the law, but then experiencing the curse that disobedience deserves. In doing so, he establishes this new covenant, not bringing a law on tablets like Moses but writing his law upon the hearts of his people through the Holy Spirit, empowering them to now be able to follow this law. Therefore, we don’t look to this law as what we need to obey to be blessed but one that points us to the help that we get from God.
The temporary nature of the laws in Deuteronomy is also shown in the way that Jesus overturns many of them. He declares all food to be clean, abolishing the regulations regarding food (Mark 7:19; Acts 10-11). When asked about divorce, Jesus states that the law given in Deuteronomy 24 was due to the “hardness of their heart” (Matthew 19:1-9; Mark 10:1-12) and goes back to the Garden of Eden to speak about the purpose of marriage (Genesis 1-2), indicating that the laws of Deuteronomy were temporary concessions to the divine ideal. Therefore, we should not view ourselves as being obligated to follow laws in the same way that God demanded the Israelites. That said, we also should not view ourselves as free to do whatever we want or that these laws are completely irrelevant to Christians today.
Remember Their Divine Giver
The Apostle Paul wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, CSB). He would definitely have the Book of Deuteronomy in mind as part of the “Scripture” to which he refers. Therefore, he would view this book as having continuing value for Christians as a way to learn about God, what He expects, and how we are to live faithfully to Him. We should read these laws and see what they teach us about God and what He expects from His people, seeking to understand the principles that were being applied to this particular context in the form of this law. Rather than reading these laws as a “to do” list, we should read them as a revelation of the character and heart of the God that has saved us in Jesus and think through how we can and should reflect the heart of our God in our world today. We live in a different social-historical and salvation-historical moment, but we serve the same God who gave His people these laws.
Remember Your Human Limitations
I would be first to admit that some of the laws are weird and difficult to understand, both in terms of their original context but also the “why” behind them. There are also times when it can be a bit puzzling why this law is placed after that law. I’ve read explanations for both the organization of these laws and also some of the more puzzling laws, some of which I have found somewhat compelling and other times seem like complete speculation. We should seek to understand the meaning and significance of these laws to the best of our abilities, but I think it is also important to recognize that the meaning and purpose of some laws might remain unclear to us – and to be okay with that.
Our goal is not to know and understand everything, but to seek to know God more and more and follow Him more faithfully. Therefore, rather than being distraught by or distracted by things that remain confusing and mysterious, we should be challenged and comforted by the words that we understand and seek to walk in light of what God has clearly revealed. In fact, maybe part of the purpose behind some of the “difficult to understand” laws is to lead us back to the God who gave the laws and the call to trust Him as He knows way more and way better than us.
Questions about the Bible or theology? Email them to Pastor Brian at Theology@WeAreFaith.org. You can also email to be added to the list that receives weekly emails with our blog posts.
