The Choice God Put Before Israel in Deuteronomy 30:15-20
INTRODUCTION
“I have a story that will make you believe in God,” states Piscine Molitor Patel in the novel “Life of Pi.” Some individuals struggle with having a strong faith in God. Similar to the narrator in “Life of Pi,” many human beings must go through a life changing experience or have physical proof in order to fully attest to the Lord’s teachings. Storytelling and religious belief are two closely linked ideas in “Life of Pi.” Each of Pi’s three religions, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam, come with its own set of tales and fables, which are used to spread the teachings and illustrate the beliefs of the faith. In this paper I will discuss the choice God put before Israel in Deuteronomy 30:15-20 influences and how it influences peoples faith along with the struggle some may have maintaining a strong faith.
STRUCTURE AND LITERAL CONTEXT The nature of the book Deuteronomy as a covenant structure indicates that the authors viewed it as a renewal of the covenant. Compared to other passages throughout Deuteronomy, the choice before Israel has a simple and methodical structure. This structure has four parts, two that present each choice, one which explain the consequences of each choice, and one that discloses the Lord’s desired decision: obeying the commandments of the Lord (Duet 30: 15-17), disobeying the Lord (Duet 30: 17-19), the consequences (Duet 30: 19), and the choice the Lord desires (Duet 30: 20). So, why is this passage important? Ultimately, I feel that Deuteronomy 30:15-20 expresses the foundation of faith within the Lord. Unlike other sources within the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy has been known to be independent source in a broader context. All of Deuteronomy has been known to have a repetitive style constantly recalling all the good deeds of the Lord toward Israel that involve divine care and help in the land. Its vocabulary cannot easily be correlated to those of the J, E, or P sources.
In a more immediate context, the organization of
“I have a story that will make you believe in God,” states Piscine Molitor Patel in the novel “Life of Pi.” Some individuals struggle with having a strong faith in God. Similar to the narrator in “Life of Pi,” many human beings must go through a life changing experience or have physical proof in order to fully attest to the Lord’s teachings. Storytelling and religious belief are two closely linked ideas in “Life of Pi.” Each of Pi’s three religions, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam, come with its own set of tales and fables, which are used to spread the teachings and illustrate the beliefs of the faith. In this paper I will discuss the choice God put before Israel in Deuteronomy 30:15-20 influences and how it influences peoples faith along with the struggle some may have maintaining a strong faith.
STRUCTURE AND LITERAL CONTEXT The nature of the book Deuteronomy as a covenant structure indicates that the authors viewed it as a renewal of the covenant. Compared to other passages throughout Deuteronomy, the choice before Israel has a simple and methodical structure. This structure has four parts, two that present each choice, one which explain the consequences of each choice, and one that discloses the Lord’s desired decision: obeying the commandments of the Lord (Duet 30: 15-17), disobeying the Lord (Duet 30: 17-19), the consequences (Duet 30: 19), and the choice the Lord desires (Duet 30: 20). So, why is this passage important? Ultimately, I feel that Deuteronomy 30:15-20 expresses the foundation of faith within the Lord. Unlike other sources within the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy has been known to be independent source in a broader context. All of Deuteronomy has been known to have a repetitive style constantly recalling all the good deeds of the Lord toward Israel that involve divine care and help in the land. Its vocabulary cannot easily be correlated to those of the J, E, or P sources.
In a more immediate context, the organization of