With the recall of the past events completed, Moses now turns GenB's attention to the future, to life in the land. The gift of the land may be a matter of promise, but that gift comes with accountability and responsibility. In turning to these matters, Moses begins with a call to radical discipleship.
The opening phrase, "and now," marks off a new section, but links what comes next logically to what has already been said. In this way Moses brings his historical reminiscence of Israel's past in Deut.1-3 to bear on his appeal to faithfulness in this chapter. This appeal opens with an imperative to "hear." This imperative serves the same function with regards to the law as the imperative "see" serves with regards to the gift of the land. One calls Israel to faith, by which the land will be possessed, the other calls her to obedience by which life in the land will be defined, ordered and preserved. One is the gate via which Israel appropriates the land promise, the other the means by which residence in the land is guaranteed. One scribes out the vision of what Israel might territorially become, the other of what Israel is morally meant to be. "See" and "hear" serve, therefore, as the two poles of Israel's spirituality before God; one rouses gratitude, love, and vision, the other the reciprocity of obedience that alone makes gratitude, love and vision viable.
This appeal is driven by two sets of twin-calls (vv.1 & 2 and vv.5 & 6a) to keep and obey the commandments that Moses is teaching them. Each set of calls is followed by motivational reason(s) for such obedience to Yahweh. The first, vv.3-4, reminds Israel of what she ("your eyes") had seen to be the result (still evident "today") of failing to obey as—in solidarity with GenA—they did at Baal Peor. The second, vv.6b-8, drives on three assertions—each involving the expression "great nation"—about her uniqueness as a result of her relationship with Yahweh. This may be set out like this (click here to see the same thing on the right panel to more easily follow this paragraph)
Aa. Call: "Hear the decrees and laws (chuqqim umishpatim) I am teaching (lamad) you to observe ('asa). . . go in and take possession of the land" (v.1)
Ab. Call: "Do not add or subtract from it. Keep (shama) the commands" (v.2)
B. Motivational Reason: "Your eyes have seen what Yahweh did at Baal Peor . . . Yahweh destroyed everyone who followed Baal Peor . . . but all of you who held fast to Yahweh is alive today" (v.3-4)
Aa'. Call: "See, I have taught (lamad) you decrees and laws (chuqqim umishpatim) . . . so that you may observe ('asa ) them in the land you are entering to possess" (v.5)
Ab'. Call: "Keep (shama) them and observe ('asa) them . . ." (v.6a)
B'a. Motivational Reason: ". . . for this will be your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the nations who will hear about all these decrees, and say, "This great nation is . . . "(v.6b)
B'b. Motivational Reason: "What great nation is there that has their god so close as Yahweh is to us whenever we call to him?" (v.7)
B'c. Motivational Reason: "What great nation has decrees and laws as righteous as this body of laws I am setting before you today" (v.8)
This appeal is, at the same time, set within a larger plea by Moses that composes vv.1-14:
A. Hear the decrees and laws (chuqqim umishpatim) I am about to teach you . . . follow them . . . you may go in and take possession of the land (v.1-2)
B. Your eyes saw (enekem haro't) what Yahweh did at Baal Peor (v.3-4)
C. See, I have taught you decrees and laws (chuqqim umishpatim) as Yahweh my God commanded (v.5)
D. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom . . . to the peoples, who, when they hear . . . will say, "Surely this great nation (haggoy haggadol) is a wise and discerning people (v.6)
D'. What other great nation (goy gadol) has a God so near to it as Yahweh our God is near us whenever we call to him? (v.7)
C'. What other great nation has decrees and laws (chuqqim umishpatim) as righteous as this body of law I am setting before you today (v.8)
B'. Only take heed . . . lest you forget the things your eyes have seen (ra'u 'enek) . . . (v.9-13)
A'. Yahweh directed me to teach you the decrees and laws (chuqqim umishpatim) you are to follow in the land you are crossing over to possess (v.14).
Low Chai Hok
©Alberith, 2017