God’s Word: A Reminder of His Promises

Have you ever read a familiar passage of Scripture and felt like you’re reading it for the first time? For me, that passage recently was Deuteronomy 31:9-13:

“So Moses wrote this Law and gave it to the religious leaders, the sons of Levi who carried the special box of the Law of the Lord, and to all the leaders of Israel. Then Moses told them, ‘At the end of every seven years, at the time when money owed is done away with at the Special Supper of Tents, when all Israel comes to stand before the Lord your God at the place He will choose, you must read this Law so all Israel will hear it. Gather together the people in your town, the men and the women, the children, and the stranger. So they may hear and learn and fear the Lord your God. Be careful to obey all the words of this Law. Then their children, who have not known it, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to take.’” (NLV)

Moses tells the Israelites that every seven years they are to gather together to read the Law—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. This is a reminder of the Israelites’ history and the laws established by God. When I first read this, I was surprised that it was only once every seven years. I mean, considering the short memories of the Israelites during their forty years in the wilderness, seven years was a long time! Then again, there is significance to the number seven for God. Beginning with creating the earth, God has repeatedly used the number seven as a reminder for His people.

There are three recorded occasions when the Law is read for the Israelites, beginning in Joshua just before they enter the Promised Land. The second is in 2 Kings 23 with King Josiah, and the third time is in Nehemiah chapter 8 with the prophet Ezra.  In Brave Enough, Nicole Unice says, “Commentators believe that because the people had been scattered all throughout Babylon, some of them had lost the ability to understand Hebrew and could no longer comprehend God’s words for His people.”

Each time the Law is read seems to be a time of repentance and renewed promise for the Israelites. They are reminded of all Yahweh has done for them, and they resolve to keep God in His rightful place…again. Scripture shows us that each of the gaps between readings is filled with disobedience.

This leads to consequences. Nehemiah reveals that the Israelites have been scattered. They have married people who worship other gods, gods now present as idols in their homes. The more they have surrounded themselves with worldly things, the further from Yahweh the Israelites have strayed. The separation has become so great that they can no longer understand the language by which God set them apart (see Genesis 11).

Ezra had a solution. Nehemiah 8:7-8 states, “… the Levites helped the people understand the Law, while the people stayed in their places. They read from the book of the Law of God, telling the meaning of it so that they understood what was read.”

Even when the Israelites moved so far from God they could no longer understand His Word, He provided a way. The Levites stood in the gap and helped the people understand the Law. In Deuteronomy Moses gave the Law to the sons of Levi. In Nehemiah, they would help to give it back to the people.

It’s not hard for me to figure out why this passage is so striking to me. Deuteronomy 31 reminds me how much God desires relationship with us. [Tweet “God gives us space to live our lives, but when we stray too far, He reminds us of His promises.”] God knew the Israelites would disobey and need reminders. Before they had a chance to stray, God had already built in a safety net to draw His people back to Him by requiring a reading of their journey together every seven years.

For me, there is another promise in this story. God provided leaders to come alongside those who had strayed the farthest, to make sure they would still hear His words. That promise was furthered in the New Testament with the gift of Jesus Christ and later, the Holy Spirit. He is still keeping His promise to us today!

Beth Walker is a football coach’s wife and mom of two energetic boys. As a writer, Beth has been striving to find her own voice through pursuing Jesus, personal life reflection, and her ministry encouraging college women to grow in their relationships with God. She blogs at lessonsfromthesidelines.wordpress.com.

Photograph by Leehu Zysberg.