Day 58. Deuteronomy 24-27

Under the Law of Moses divorce was a relatively easy matter. If he was unhappy with his wife, all that a man had to do was to "write her a certificate of divorce, [put] it in her hand, and [send] her out of the house" (Deuteronomy 24: 1). A woman was given no such privilege, but at least she was able, armed with a written document to protect her from an accusation of unfaithfulness, to go and freely marry another—possibly with a better outcome. Many—and this included Jesus--found the ease of this transaction objectionable. But its original intention was to protect both parties in a marriage and to make the ending of an unhappy union as easy and painless as possible.
In chapter 25, verses 5-10 we get our fullest exposition yet of levirate marriage, an arrangement we have encountered earlier. This law provided that if a man died without issue, his brother shall "go in to" his widow and provide offspring and an heir for the deceased so that "his name may not be blotted out of Israel" (25:6). This arrangement not only served to perpetuate the name of the deceased, it also provided for his widow by giving her children and a secure place in society. The duty of levirate marriage was apparently taken seriously in ancient Israel--in Luke 20:28-33 we find Jesus being challenged about this law in his conflict with the Sadducees over the resurrection of the dead--and a heavy weight of shame was attached to any man who refused for any reason to do what the law commanded of him (25:8-10).
Besides dwelling on the subject of marriage, our reading for today again demonstrates the concern the Law of Moses had for those at the margins of the community. We find laws that offer practical assistance to resident aliens--who would be landless and therefore destitute—as well as to widows and orphans who are made the particular responsibility of the whole community. With no adult male to protect them, it is the LORD who steps in to act as husband and father on their behalf.
In this and in many other many matters of the Law of Moses is common decency and practical kindness codified, providing protection for the most vulnerable members of society (24:10-14) and ensuring that even domestic animals are humanely treated (25:4). In the compassion shown by his laws and statutes the LORD strives to deserve the name of Merciful.
Chapter 26 is an important one in Deuteronomy because contains what is essentially the creed of ancient Israel, a formula associated with the offering of first fruits and it begins with the words—"A wandering Aramean was my ancestor. . . . (26:5-10). The statement of Israel's faith then goes on to tell the salvation history of the people, beginning with the call of Abraham and the promise made to him and ending with the fulfillment of that promise in Israel's establishment in the land. Like our familiar Christian creeds, it is not only a statement of historical faith, but also an expression of thanksgiving to the one who works through history to keep his promises to his people.
Then in the conclusion to this first great good-bye sermon Moses renews the covenant made between Israel and the LORD in formal legal terms binding both parties to each other. He says to the people: "Today you have obtained the LORD's agreement: to be your God and for you to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, and his ordinances, and to obey him. Today the LORD has obtained your agreement: to be his treasured people, as he promised you, and to keep his commandments; for him to set you high above all nations that he has made, in praise and in fame and in honor; and for you to be a people holy to the LORD you God, as he promised" (26:18-19).
All the great themes of Deuteronomy are right here. This is more than a legal agreement, it is a hymn to the God who enters his creation and chooses a people for his own, giving the Law as a sign of their election and a call to a life of obedience and holiness. There is nothing more for Moses to do but say, "Keep silence and hear, O Israel! This very day you have become the people of the LORD your God!" (27:9).
But the covenant-making continues in tomorrow's reading with curses for those who break the covenant and blessings for those who keep it.