Day 46: Deuteronomy 30-34

Summaries:
If someone returns to God and vows to follow Him, God will have mercy and bless this person.  God's commands are not out of reach, but are graspable, and the choice between life and death, to follow God or not, is laid before Israel (30).  Moses tells the people that the Lord, not Moses himself, will lead them into the land, and Joshua will take Moses' place, and Moses encourages Joshua not to fear, and handed over the written law to the levitical priests, instructing them to read it aloud on the feast of Booths for all to hear and to teach and observe, and to place the law in the Ark of the Covenant.  Joshua is commissioned, and God gives Moses a song to teach to the Israelites to keep future generations from turning from God (31).  Moses recites the song for all to hear, in which God recalls his past blessings on his people, his punishment on those who turn away from him, and the blessings to come for those who follow him.  Moses gives a final appeal to the people to follow the Lord, then from the top of the mountain is able to see the land of Canaan  before he dies (32).  Moses pronounces blessings on each of the tribes of Israel (33). Then God showed Moses the land from the mountaintop, and Moses died (34).

Reflections:
The mercy that God displays as he tells the Israelites that anyone who chooses to follow him will be blessed equally to the Israelites is remarkable.  It's the concept that, despite what you've done, anyone can follow God.  But of course, he must first choose life, choose God, and not fall into the evil ways that are against God.  This is the mercy I see in the sacrament of Reconciliation.  It is incomparable love.

I also found it slightly sad that Moses dies at the very end, though it was very fitting.  God was true to his word, that since Moses failed him when he struck the rock the second time due to lack of faith and God made the water appear, he would not come into the land.  But still, I felt like I was rooting for a last minute change of heart, where God would be like "Okay, come on in."  But that's not how God works.  It says that no prophet had arisen like Moses , and his eyes were undimmed even at his death.  He did not die because he was a bad person, and he surely shares eternal life in heaven.  But it shows the reality of the consequences for our sins.  The real consequences that we so often do not think about.  God loved Moses.  But because he had let him down, he had to serve only as the bridge for the people to the land of Canaan, without himself partaking in its glory.

Day 45: Deuteronomy 25-29

Summaries:
Moses recounts rules to the Israelites regarding the punishment of stripes, levirate marriage (when brothers live together and one dies without a son and the widow marries the other brother), and other various precepts (25). When the Israelites come into the land which God is giving them, they must remember to give thanks to God.  Also they must give their tithes to the Levite, the orphan, the alien, and the widow, and they must obey the words of God and fulfill their covenant with Him, and He will raise them up (26).  Moses urges the people to keep all the commandments, and then gives the people the twelve curses for those who are disobedient to the word of God (27).  The Moses gives the promises of blessing for obedience to God, telling of their victory and prosperity that God will give, followed by curses for disobedience, including sickness and defeat.  Those who are disobedient will be oppressed, they will be in exile, their labor will bear no fruit, they will be captures, suffer plagues, and so on (28). Moses recounts the many ways that God has blessed the people, and reminds them that all Israel is bound to the covenant.  He warns them against idolatry and reiterates the punishment for infidelity (29).

Reflections:
So basically, obey God and God will bless you beyond belief.  Disobey God and you will face the punishments due to you.  It's simple really.  Yet we still seem to think we can negotiate our way to heaven, by being a good person only, or by doing what we want and trying to make up for it later.  Essentially, if we could think beyond the here-and-now present-moment, we would see that there really is no choice like following god.

Quotes:
Deuteronomy 26:18-19 - "And today the LORD is making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you; and provided you keep all his commandments, he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory above all other nations he has made, and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God, as he promised."

Day 44: Deuteronomy 21-24

Summaries:
Moses recounts instructions regarding what to do with untraced murder, how a man can marry a female captive, how to treat the first-born of of of two wives, and how to deal with a disobeying son (21).   Moses tells the Israelites to care for the animals of one's neighbor, along with other various laws, and gives various crimes against marriage, such as if a man tries to divorce his wife after having relations with her, adultery, rape, etc (22).  Some rules regarding membership in the community are given, along with the necessity for cleanliness in the camp, since God journeys with them in the camp, and other various laws, such as there shall be no temple harlot, and you shall not delay fulfilling an oath sworn to God (23).  More marriage laws, such as remarriage and marital leave from the military are given, along with laws regarding justice, such as kidnapping, loans, and allowing that which you do not pick/reap at first is to be left for the orphans, the widows, and the foreigners (24).

Reflections:
Lots of different laws.  My favorite was probably the one I quoted below about husband being exempt from military and public duty for a year following marriage so he can bring joy to his family.  That would be great.  I do think this shows the importance of families being together for more than jsut a day fater marriage, birth, etc.  Family is the key to society.

Quotes:
Deuteronomy 24:5 - "When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him.  He shall be exempt for one year for the sake of his family, to bring joy to the wife he has married."  (A year off?  I wish!)

Day 43: Deuteronomy 17-20

Summaries:
Moses recounts that pagan worship deserves punishment if the testimony of more than one witness confirms it, judges are to be appointed to study cases and make just verdicts, and if the Israelites choose to appoint a king when they come into the land God is giving them, he must be the man who God chooses (17). The Levites have no share in the heritage with Israel, but live on the oblations of the Lord and the portion due.  The Israelites are not to be influenced by the sins of other peoples, and God will raise up a prophet like Moses to lead them (18).  Of the cities the Israelites will inherit/conquer, some cities are to be set aside for refuge, and judicial fact is established by two or three witnesses, though unjust witnesses are to be punished (19).  Be courageous in battle, for God si with you, and men with certain circumstances are exempt from battle (new home no housewarming, new vineyard never enjoyed fruit, etc).  When attacking a city, offer peace first, and if they refuse, follow the rules regarding who to capture/kill, and don't destroy their trees (20).

Reflections:
It continues to be stressed not to be influenced by the sins or ways of other peoples.  Oh how important this is.  It can be so easy for us to justify wrong-doings simply by saying "Well they do it, so..."  But this is not the way it is to be done.  We must not be influenced by the sins of others, but must always seek the truth and know how to turn away from the sinful ways of others.  This is also why our actions are so important, because we must not be bad examples, leading others astray.  Hopefully my personal failings are never seen as justification for another person's sinful actions.

Day 42: Deuteronomy 13-16

Summaries:
Moses recounts that idolatry and worshiping false gods are grave sins, and this evil should be purged from their midst (13).  Moses recounts which animals are considered clean or unclean for eating, which includes not eating pig, and everyone is to tithe a portion of their produce, grain, oil, wine, and animals (14). Moses explains how debts are to be relaxed at the end of every 7-year period, as well as how slaves are allowed to dismiss themselves should they choose at that time.  All male firstlings of the herd and flock are to be consecrated to the Lord (15).  Moses reminds the Israelites to keep the Passover feast at the dwelling place chosen by god, as well as the feast of Weeks and the feast of Booths, and that judges are to appointed as just officials (16).

Reflections:
Purge the evil from our midst.  An interesting concept.  In the times of Deuteronomy this often meant stoning, removing, or killing the one who is responsible for the eveil/wrong that is done.  Today, there are different ways we are to do this.  We are to correct mistake, teach truth, remove ourselves from sinful situations, do not become over-exposed to sinful media or people.  Essentially, just as the people were not to be surrounded by the idols of other peoples, we are not to surround ourselves with the things that are not of God that will lead us astray from Him.  This doesn't mean we can't have any exposure to the world, but we must not be disctracted from God by these things.  So, whatever leads us to sin, must be purged, removed, from our lives, else we are lead to sin again.

Quotes:
Deuteronomy 14:1 - "You are children of the Lord, your God."

Days 40-41: Deuteronomy 5-12

Summaries:

Moses recounts The Ten Commandments to the Israelites, and reminds them not to stray from what God has taught them (5).  Moses recounts the greatest commandment, to love the Lord with your whole heart, strength, and soul, and urges the Israelites to learn and pass on these teachings, not forgetting them, and to teach their children of all that God has done (6).  God will tear down the nations in their way, and the Israelites are not to intermingle with these people, but are to destroy their temples and idols, and they will be greatly blessed for their fidelity to God, including with the destruction of opposing nations (7). Moses recounts how God cared for the Israelites, and that God is leading them to a great land, but when they receive it, they are not to forget all that God has done and think that they deserve the credit (8).

God will protect the Israelites as they face the Anakim, and they will be successful because of God.  They are not to forget how they angered God with the golden calf, but should remember how God heard Moses' plea and spared them (9).  Moses recounts the cutting of the tablets for the commandments an the building of the ark for which to store the tablets, and he tells of God's glory (10).  Moses reminds the Israelites to keep the commandments and remember all that God has done, and God will bless the land they are coming to with rain, and their fidelity to God will be rewarded with driving out nations and protecting them.  The Israelites are given this choice of blessing if they follow God or curse if they do not (11).  The Israelites are to destroy foreign temples of worship to other gods, for they will have one place which god chooses for offerings and holocausts.  Some meals they may have in their communities, but others must be before the Lord (12).

Reflections:
Okay, now this is a big chunk of Bible, and there is so much to be said, but I need to blog this all together so I can move onward.

First off, though I was behind in my reading, I found it amazing that on the day when children from the Cathedral were receiving their First Penance, I was reading about he 10 Commandments.  In fact, I read the same reading that was read at the penance service, which was Deut. 6:3-9, about keeping the commandments and "drilling them into your children."  Very cool.

I think that these chapters of Deuteronomy are so crucial and amazing.  Moses is recounting all these things that God has done and told them so that they can remember and live for God.  He urges them not to forget the many things God has done for them, the ways He has blessed them, just as we all should not forget.  That is why it is important for us to hear these readings, because these are our forefathers, and God blessed them.  And He promises to bless us too.

I like that Moses frequently tells the Israelites to follow the commandments EXACTLY, not straying to the left or the right.  First off, I think that this is important that we do not stray far from the law, from the Truth, else we find ourselves straying further and further.  Also, I find it funny to read about turning to the left or the right, because it makes me think about our political terms, with left-wing-right-wing politics.  Where's the middle?  Maybe we ought to seek and live the truth and not be left-wingers or right-wingers.

In 7:13, it is written that God will "love and bless and multiply you; he will bless the fruit of your womb..."  How amazing is it that the exact same words are spoken from Elizabeth to Mary upon the realization that she is pregnant with Jesus?

When Moses is recounting how the Israelites sinned with the Golden Calf, Moses says that God was so angry even with Aaron and God would have killed him had Moses not prayed for him.  This shows the power of prayer.  It is not that we can change the mind of God, but God hears the cries of his children, so we must pray to our Father in Heaven, knowing that he hears us and loves us.

Two interesting things regarding meat.  One is that in 11:15, God says He will bring forth grass in the fields for the animals.  This makes me think about all that I learned in the documentaries King Corn and Food Inc. about how the majority of the meat we eat these days is corn-fed non-grazing cows, and it's kind of gross to see what we've done due to driven up demand and desire for low costs.  It's not how it was meant to be.  This is why I've kind of pushed standard meat out of my diet and will only eat grass-fed organic meats.  Also, 12:20 says "when you wish meat for food, you may eat it at will, to your hearts desire" and has a footnote about how this referred to special feasts, and that meat was not eaten every day in Israel, not even by the wealthy.  Contrast to today, where we eat meat whenever possible, I think it points out that there is something wrong with the way we eat in America and in the world today.  We don't need to be eating nearly as much meat as we do.  (Especially not crummy corn-fed beef.)

Quotes:
Deut. 5:32-33 - "Be careful, therefore, to do as the LORD, your God, has commanded you, not turning aside to the right or to the left, but following exactly the way prescribed for you by the LORD, your God, that you may live and prosper, and may have long life in the land which you are to occupy."

Deut. 6:5-7 - "Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest."


Deut 7:8-9 - "It was because the LORD loved you and because of his fidelity to the oath he had sworn to your fathers, that he brought you out with his strong hand from the place of slavery, and ransomed you from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, then, that the LORD, your God, is God indeed, the faithful God who keeps his merciful covenant down to the thousandth generation toward those who love him and keep his commandments."

Deut 8:10, 17-18 - "But when you have eaten your fill, you must bless the LORD, your God, for the good country he has given you... Otherwise, you might say to yourselves, 'It is my own power and the strength of my own hand that has obtained for me this wealth.' Remember then, it is the LORD, your God, who gives you the power to acquire wealth, by fulfilling, as he has now done, the covenant which he swore to your fathers."

Deut 10:16 - "Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and be no longer stiff-necked."

Deut 11:26-28 - "I set before you here, this day, a blessing and a curse: a blessing for obeying the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today; a curse if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, but turn aside from the way I ordain for you today, to follow other gods, whom you have not known."

Deut 12:19 - "Take care, also, that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live in the land."  (Show your priests some love!)