BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

After a whirlwind tour through the highs and lows of Israel’s history, Moses draws the first part of his big speech to a stirring conclusion. He distills Israel’s covenant law into five main “to-do” actions for the people. They are to fear Yahweh, walk in all his ways, love him, serve him, and keep his commandments because Yahweh’s wisdom overflows with goodness and life.

Now, the Israelites must decide. Will they listen or turn away? Wholehearted loyalty to Yahweh will bring abundant blessing. God will shower the land with rain, and dry hills will burst into lush green, their slopes laden with grapes and grain. Idolatry, however, will bring curse. There is no middle ground. They cannot serve two masters.

With this call to covenant faithfulness hanging over the Israelites’ heads, Moses launches into the second section of his speech: a collection of laws describing covenant faithfulness in the promised land. Israel is to destroy all the Canaanites’ sacred objects and places dedicated to idol worship. The Israelites will bring all their offerings to one single temple, where they will celebrate the goodness of the one true God. The entire nation will join the priests and Levites to feast on God’s abundance. However, when they eat their sacrifices, the Israelites must be careful not to consume any blood because blood represents a creature’s life.

The core idea here is that all life belongs to God alone. Watch today’s video to learn about the connection between blood (dām in Hebrew) and life in the Bible.

Reflection Questions

• Think back to the regulations about blood you’ve read in Israel’s laws so far. How do these commands help you understand God’s view of life?
• Meditate on Moses’ call to covenant faithfulness in Deuteronomy 10:12-22. How does he describe Yahweh’s character in this section? What does this reveal about the nature of obedience to God?