BBB Bible Series: Deuteronomy Trivia Quiz

Answer: Moses

Fact:
The tradition of Mosaic authorship is very ancient. The structure and purpose of the book (record of covenant-treaty) accords well with the historical environment in which Moses lived. In simple language, many nations from that time and geographical area produced a similar kind of document, although almost all others were secular in nature: to do with civil government, not religion. Internal evidence agrees that Moses was the author, at the direction of the Lord: Deuteronomy 31:9; 1:5; etc. The Bible elsewhere also supports this in several places, including Jesus' own views (Matthew 19:3-9).
Some Biblical scholars ascribe authorship to later scribes (of the time of King Josiah, shortly before the Exile ca. 597 BC). These scholars are generally using a source-critical approach to the Bible, and assume the validity of the (19th century) Documentary Hypothesis, and thus the 'JEPD' classification of contributors to the written Scriptures. Source-critical scholars tend to reject the validity and reliability of oral tradition, although modern research has shown that oral tradition, in a culture where it is the primary means of retaining important knowledge, can be both accurate and stable to an astonishing degree.

Opinion:
I believe we need much better grounds than we have now before we can seriously question traditional Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch (the five books of Genesis-Deuteronomy). Much is sometimes made of the fact that Deuteronomy includes the record of Moses' death (right at the end), but I can easily see Joshua or Aaron adding this P.S. to the book, without that changing it from being Moses' book.

Answer: History, religious law, teaching

Deuteronomy can be described as a "Treaty-Covenant" document, but one in which the treaty and the covenant are not only entered into with God, but initiated, defined and prescribed by God.
In Deuteronomy, Moses:
- sums up the history of God's dealings with the Israelites (and their past failures in dealing with God);
- reminds them of what the terms of God's covenant with His people are;
- exhorts them to abide by these terms; and
- instructs them in how to put them into practice in daily life.

Deuteronomy does not *typically* contain prophecy, or secular law, or military strategy.

Answer: Deuteronomy 6:4-5

"Shema" is simply the Hebrew word for "Hear". In Biblical Hebrew, however, there is a greater implication than simply to hear something; it means something more like 'hear and obey' or 'hear and do'.
Jesus taught the opening two verses of the "Shema" as the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:35-40; Mark 12:28-34).
The intent and focus of these verses is to teach that God is one, that there is in fact only one God, and that His people are to love Him with their whole being, unreservedly.

A devout Jew will recite the "Shema" twice daily, on rising in the morning and at bedtime at night.
There are difference in usage between different forms of Judaism (eg. between Orthodox and Reform Judaism),
but the traditional Jewish "Shema" in full comprises:
Deuteronomy 6:4;
a traditional short liturgical response blessing the name of the Lord;
Deuteronomy 6:5-9;
Deuteronomy 11:13-21; and
Numbers 15:37-41.

Answer: Pisgah

First told in Numbers 20:1-13, and recapped in Deuteronomy 32:48-52, the reason the Lord prohibited Moses from entering Canaan was his disobedience of God's command: when God told Moses to speak to the rock, Moses struck it instead, out of his anger and frustration with the people.
The exact site of Pisgah is unknown, but it may have been another name for Mount Nebo itself (as in Deuteronomy 32:49), or one of the neighbouring peaks around Mount Nebo, just northeast of the Dead Sea.
Mount Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai, far to the south in the Sinai peninsula. Mount Carmel overlooks the valley of Jezreel, within Israel itself, and Mount Hermon is far to the north.

Answer: The ten commandments

Deuteronomy is a review and an affirmation of God's Covenant with His chosen people. Therefore Moses frequently refers back to past events, and in more important areas, quotes specifically, in order to bring accurately to the minds of the people what that Covenant entails, and what that means to them. In the case of the ten commandments, this is important enough (and short enough) to quote almost verbatim: Deuteronomy 5:6-13 is an exact duplicate, word for word, with Exodus 20:2-9, with the exception of one phrase.

Thereafter Deuteronomy 5 continues to parallel Exodus 20, but a little less closely.

Answer: The year of the Lord's release

This Biblical provision appears to be unique in human history. The 'Sabbatic' or seventh Year addressed here is different to the Year of Jubilee, which operated on a cycle of 7 times 7 years (ie every 49 years), and was even more radical in equalising the distribution of assets.
Bible historians believe that the various Jubilee laws were never fully and universially implemented among the Israelites (there is some evidence for this in the Bible, eg. in Jeremiah 34). They may have been practiced by some, and not others, or they may have been practiced in an amended form. For example, a debate exists over whether this remission of debts in the Sabbatic Year constituted a year's suspension of repayments, or a complete cancellation of the entire debt. The promises God attaches to obedience to this law are generous; nevertheless, it appears that we human beings remain skeptical!

Ordinances regarding the Sabbatic Year are also given, among other places, in Exodus 23:9-11 and Leviticus 25.

Answer: by giving generously to the needy

Generosity and an ungrudging heart, rather than duty, or logic, are the key to the teaching in this verse.
The NKJV text manages to communicate this quite well:
'You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy,'
Not grudgingly, nor dutifully; you shall not just open your hand,
you shall open it WIDE.
In the same vein v.10 reads, 'You shall surely give to him, AND your heart should not be grieved when you give to him...' (my emphasis)
Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:42, "Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away." Notice that there is no qualification, such as, 'so long as you think he's not going to spend it on drink'; or, 'if you think she really needs it'.

Answer: "Today you have proclaimed the Lord to be your God" and "Also today the Lord has proclaimed you to be His special people"

These verses represent the declaration of the Covenant between the Lord and His people as an accomplished fact. They are the conclusion of a review of all the important provisions of the Covenant, a review which has been going on since Chapter 12. This declaration is followed by specific instructions for the ratification* of the Covenant by the people when they cross the Jordan into Canaan.

*Ratification: the formal confirmation or legal acknowledgement of an act already performed.

Answer: 'And all the people shall say, "Amen!"'

Along with the curses there was also a set of blessings. Both blessings and curses were to be formally and publicly assented to by all the people. The purpose was to acknowledge that, as a people, they knew by what Covenant rules they were to live in the Promised Land under God, and that they knew what both the punishments for breaking those rules would be, as well as the rewards for keeping them.

This was to be part of the formal ratification of the Covenant enacted at the end of Deuteronomy 26.

Answer: "whom the Lord knew face to face,"

All of the prophets knew God, and faithfully communicated His will or His word to the people (by definition, this is what made them prophets!); several ruled justly (eg. Samuel, Daniel); and almost all emphasized the exclusive nature of Israel's service to God. Only Moses is recorded as conversing with the Lord face-to-face.

Moses is revered in three faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in each of which the books attributed to him are accepted as sacred scriptures. In Judaism and in Christianity they are part of the canon: the inspired Word of God.