The readings - Days 66-69 - Deuteronomy 24-34
Is it fair to just clump the entire last 10 chapters of Deuteronomy - indeed, the closing chapters of the epic Pentateuch - into one post, and a comparatively short one at that?
Probably not.
But, as I tell myself to further justify the decision that has already been made to do just that, that's the way it is. I have never been overly concerning myself with the notion of making exhaustive commentary on every little thing in each reading, so I feel like giving a cursory nod to the conclusion of a book that has been itself largely focused on reiterating the message and details of previous books is probably acceptable.
Deuteronomy was both fascinating and boring, and it remained so right up to the end.
It was consistently a work that contained the best and worst of ancient Israelite legality and law, making concessions for the poor, the disenfranchised and the displaced while at the same time casting harsh and tyrannical judgments on women in particular.
All in all, a tough book to swallow, but one that I'm glad I actually read through.
Within these last chapters is contained a pretty good summary of the way that God reveals Himself to the Israelites as One who is utterly beyond both comprehension and compromise (on an ultimate level, that is). Brutally reminiscent of Lewis's "unsafe" Aslan, God shows Himself to be capable to the greatest possible heights of blessing and providence, as well as the most woeful and terrifying depths of curse and punishment.
After all that, however - after the almost too-much-to-handle list of what punishments eventually await this new nation of Israel - there comes the ultimate promise: that of redemption. There are no depths, it says, from which God cannot raise Israel, and there is nowhere for it to be sent or brought that is so far afield that God will not hear its cries for help.
There is a severity involved in all this that it particularly uncomfortable to postmodern eyes and ears, and some of that severity is, I believe, specific to the early Israelite context, but when you really stop and think about it, how else could a being so unfathomably beyond us appear to our own limited understanding and reason?
Reading harsh ancient stuff about women is always tricky as a woman. Since I teach Greek Myth and History, I have to confront a lot of this. It's best to turn my brain off. I tell my female students to not blame all of the Greeks for this, nor to judge too harshly a person for the terrible things they say. I tell them they are free to dislike these things and feel uncomfortable, but just remember that these people are long dead and directing large amounts of anger at them is a waste of energy. Plus who listens to Hesiod nowadays? When it's in the Bible - it's gotta be trickier. I'm behind you in my rereading so I'm not here yet. I'll just remind myself "other place other time".
ReplyDeleteI also think God is way beyond our comprehension. So when I hear questions like "if he loves us, then how can he let bad things happen to good people" I think it's way out of our comprehension. Or it's like when I let my cats outside. Yes, I'm risking something hurting them and I'll stop what I can, but if I kept them safe inside all the time, then they'd be miserable and fat. Not a great analogy... I know.