March 5
Deuteronomy 17–20
Scripture Text: Deuteronomy 17:1–20:20
Series: Read the Bible in a Year
Forbidden forms of worship are dealt with at the beginning of chapter 17 (actually this begins at Deuteronomy 16:21). This involved practices we would consider unimaginable today but nonetheless, emphasizes God's insistence on purity and purging the evil from the people among whom he had chosen to dwell.
Laws for priests and kings are briefly outlined. Of chief importance is that kings would write their own copy of the law. They were to write it on a scroll and read it every day, presumably in order to properly rule God's people, yet also so that they would remain humble.
Warnings about the abominable practices of the Canaanite culture list child sacrifice, divination, fortune telling, communicating with the dead. The latter create an obstacle to hear from the living God and his prophets. The remainder of chapter 18 teaches how to know if someone is a true prophet.
Chapter 19 deals again with cities of refuge and boundaries of property. In this we see how much God cares for the individual.
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Rev. Dr. Mark E. Ryman has served as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC, since 2021. Previously, Pastor Ryman served congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
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