Now that's what I've often thought, and still do if I read it soon after reading Exodus, Leviticus & Numbers.
But the title in the original Hebrew is much more intriguing. Its name was the first two words of the book 'elleh haddebarim', meaning 'these are the words'.
The book is believed to be the recorded oral history of Israel & the law, from the mouth of Moses, shortly before his death. Future kings are commanded to make a copy of this law - even though Israel didn't yet have a king, and wouldn't ask for one for a few hundred years...
So this book is prophecy as well as law, and comes to us from a hero of the faith. Much more exciting than a simple rehashing, no?
In a few weeks at youth lifegroup, you'll have the opportunity to meet and talk with some genuine old people and heroes of the faith in 'Meet the Grandparents'. Try to make the most of this opportunity both this month and throughout your life - the wisdom such people offer is awesome - look at what happens to Joshua at the end of the book:
And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. (Deut. 34:9)Sure, sometimes old people can waffle on (Moses managed 34 chapters...), but they will speak more nuggets of gold in 5 minutes than I could in a week. It's worth listening to!
In preparation, why not have another skim through Deuteronomy - it is the third-most cited book in the New Testament (95 references from Jesus and the Apostles, so they obviously thought highly of it)?
Try reading the first & last chapters, then pick out some bits of interest to you.
I had a read of chapter 24 and was amazed at how much spoke to me - there's such a theme of justice in the whole book, I've no doubt it will interest and challenge you if you open your heart to it.
"This is wisdom. A wise man once said: tomorrow does not equal yesterday."
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