At the end of the Book of Numbers, Moses addressed the Israelites on the Plains of Moab, and his words became the Debarim, “these are the words” of instruction — the wisdom for living and remaining in the Promised Land, later compiled as the Book of Deuteronomy. At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, the Book of Deuteronomy was read aloud to the men and women and little ones of Israel, and the stranger living among them, that they hear and learn to fear YHWH, Israel’s God, and carefully observe all the words of the Torah with its blessings and cursings (Deu. 31:11-12; Jos. 8:34-35). This blog explores how the last book of the Pentateuch is associated with the Eighth Day.

Poised to cross the Jordan and enter Canaan, Moses spoke these words of the covenant, explaining the Torah to the entire Israelite nation. In an ANE suzerain-vassal relationship, the instructions Moses gave clarified the terms of YHWH’s covenant with them so they could live long in the land. Each person needed to understand the wisdom and will of their King in their relationship to Him and to each other, in order to prevent individual and national exile from the Land of YHWH’s presence and not bring shame upon His Majesty’s name. In its terms, YHWH presented Israel with the same choice He had given to Adam and Eve in the Garden, setting before them life and death, blessing and cursing, abundance and destruction, good and evil. Moses described what either of Israel’s choices would look like and encouraged them to live by YHWH’s wisdom, the tree of life, to honor Him. The Decalogue in the Book of Deuteronomy exemplifies the suzerain-vassal covenant relationship between YHWH and His chosen nation, defining what loyalty looked like.

Additionally, Israel’s king was to make a copy of this law in a written book and read it every day of his life, so that he would learn to fear YHWH, Israel’s God, and be careful to observe all the words of the Torah, including its statutes and judgments. This was so that his heart would not be lifted above his brothers, that he would not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or the left, and that he might prolong his days and his children’s days in His kingdom (Deu. 17:19-20). Both the king and the people were obligated to faithfully obey the covenant terms for YHWH’s Presence and His benefits of provision and security. In turn, YHWH would make His holy people a blessing to the nations.

Moses’ review of Israel’s history of rebellion throughout the entire Exodus provided an important backdrop for his explanation of the Torah; Israel must trust YHWH as their God, who understands the wisdom of an organized society. The point made was that Israel could not establish lasting order without YHWH. Only He can transform chaos into order, as shown in Genesis 1. This explains why the Debarim was read publicly at the end of the “year of release” (Deu. 15:1-3) at the Feast of Tabernacles, when every creditor was to forgive his brother’s or neighbor’s debt. Without this debt cancellation, Israel’s orderly agrarian society would have collapsed. In this act of accountability and the reading of the Torah, Israelites officially renewed their covenant before YHWH, so that each generation would learn “to fear” YHWH their God.

The Hebrew word “to fear,” yare, has several shades of meaning. It can mean being terrified at the intellectual anticipation of evil (Gen. 31:31), expressing the emotion of fear (Deu. 5:5), holding in awe and reverence (Lev. 19:3; 26:2; Psa. 112:1; 86:11; Hab. 3:2), fearing as motivation for righteous living (Lev. 19:14; 25:17; Deu. 17:19; 2Ki.17:34), or fearing as an act of worship (2Ki. 17:32-34; Deu. 14:22-23; Jos. 22:25)¹. YHWH’s great acts during the Exodus caused Israel to fear Him. The type of fear that leads to right living was instilled in each generation through reading the Debarim.

As their suzerain, King YHWH’s laws demonstrated His wisdom and glory, which, if followed, brought blessings to His people and the land as the kingdom of heaven on earth.

Considering Israel’s flawed heart and exile from the land, YHWH initiated a “new” covenant in His faithfulness to the “old” covenant, promising the line of David a kingdom that would last forever through a Human One flawlessly obedient to the covenant. This human King extricated His people from their entanglement with iniquity, redeemed them from the slavery of their hearts, forgave their sins, and put His laws in their minds, giving them a new heart engraved with the spirit of His Torah. Under these terms, Yeshua’s followers dwell in Him, the new temple in a new creation, and live by YHWH’s wisdom, surrendering to His transforming work in them through sharing in His suffering, becoming true images that reflect life and His glory. Like the covenant of old made with ancient Israel, this covenant is based on the Passover shed blood. This is He of whom Moses spoke, a prophet like him who taught the people YHWH’s wisdom and justice, leading and teaching them by the Spirit to their inheritance in Him. Through YHWH’s faithfulness to His covenant with Israel, the “new” covenant in Yeshua’s blood provides the key to the knowledge of God filling the earth.

Takeaway:
Moses gave Israel the Debarim of the Torah just before they entered YHWH’s holy land, revealing the wisdom of His will to establish and maintain an ordered society that glorifies Him. As His holy people, they were to have, in fear and awe of Him, absolute trust in and loyalty to Him, and He would bless them and their land. With each generation being taught the Law and exercising obedience to it, Israel would remain in the land. Deuteronomy teaches each generation of believers how to live forever on earth in the kingdom, the Eighth Day, in a worshipful relationship with God and with one another, through the blood and Spirit of Yeshua, poured out.

 Fun Factors:

Mat. 26:28 “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins,” has 74 letters (74 = Heb. for eternity, עד) in 15 words, totaling 8827, 7 × 13 × 97, 91 × 97.

Mark 14:24 “And He said to them, ‘This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many,’ has 68 letters in 14 words, totaling 7992, 2³ × 3³ × 37, 9 × 888, 216 × 37 “the word,” debir, = 216.

Luke 22:20 “Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you,’ has 104 letters in 22 words totaling 13809, digit product = 216.

Total: 246 letters (2 × 3 × 41) in 51 words (3 × 17), totaling 30628, 22 × 13 × 19 × 31, or 124 × 247, 30628 is the 247th triangular number and the 124th hexagonal number, 30628’s digit product = 288, 2 × 144, digit sum = 19, prime factor sum = 67, the 19th prime.