Beauty of Deuteronomy
Mikaela Carrillo
Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens,
from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back.
(Deut. 30:4) not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He
saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit…”
(Titus 3:4-5)
Regardless of the season of life, I still find it incredibly difficult
to stay motivated and disciplined in reading scripture—espe-
cially when it comes to the Old Testament. Leviticus? Num-
bers? It’s a struggle. Don’t get me wrong—these books are crit-
ical to the believer in that they help lay down the foundations
upon which the story of our savior is built. They might be dry,
but they are certainly not worthless. Nevertheless, if you’re
searching for relevance in the Old Testament, for something
more than ancient laws and procedures, look no further than
Deuteronomy. In contrast to its older, drier brothers, Deuteron-
omy finally begins to get to the heart of God's character towards
the Israelites, and on a broader level, us. Deuteronomy—a se-
ries of sermons given by Moses before the Israelites entered the
promised land—reads in certain sections like Paul’s letters in the
New Testament, emphasizing God's promise and provision for
His people, richly depicting how deeply He loves and is jealous
for us, all of which would be reflected in Jesus Christ. Yet, it also
reminds us that when we rebel—when we throw God's blessings
in His face—we, in turn, miss out on the glorious plans He has
for His people. For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy
you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them
by oath.
(Deut. 4:31)
...Deuteronomy for myself brought me face to face
with the context for God's perpetual pursuit of our
souls and enduring love for us.
This depiction is beautifully crafted in Deuteronomy, and re-
flected in the words of Paul in the New Testament. Here are a
few verses for comparison:
Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with
you...For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
(Deut. 4:23-24)
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us
alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace
that you have been saved.
(Ephes. 2:4-5)
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keep-
ing his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him
and keep his commands.
(Deut. 7:9)
But when the kindness and love of God our savior appeared, he saved us,
8 Spring 2018
These verses filled me with awe and fear for our Holy God,
bringing an intense awareness of both the depth of His love
and the "consuming fire" of His jealousy and anger. Despite this
anger, despite knowing His people will rebel, He still holds to
His covenant with the Israelites, still says He will welcome back
His people when they turn from their wicked ways. That's not
to say there isn't real, and painful, punishment for turning our
backs to God. His anger is not an empty threat. The Israelites
can speak to that. What Deuteronomy is getting at is that God
is both righteously angry and supremely faithful even when His
people are not. God’s love and to a lesser extent His anger are
not foreign to the Church, but reading Deuteronomy for myself
brought me face to face with the context for God's perpetual
pursuit of our souls and enduring love for us. Not the passive,
limp love that doesn't face the trials, failures, and faltering status
we hold. No, God's love is agape—the Greek word for love that
is sacrificial, unconditional, and selfless. It's committed, even
when we are not. It's deep, even when we are shallow in our love
to Him. It's raw and rough edged, even when we try to present
our perfect selves, when we try to hide our realities under the
rug. The Israelites messed up badly. And, unfortunately, so do
we. God brings punishment upon them—discipline, death, and
destruction. Yet even in the midst of sin and death, His love
remains for these broken people—his “treasured possession”—
and He endlessly pursues generation after generation, ultimate-
ly sacrificing His one and only son for their redemption.
Deuteronomy then speaks to how we, in turn, should approach
the Lord and live our lives under this “covenant of love:”
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon
your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at
home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you
get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.
(Deut. 6:5-9)