Original Meaning
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS short paragraph within the flow of Deuteronomy is out of all proportion to its length.1 These four verses summarize key theological issues of the book and provide a hinge between Moses’ lengthy exposition of the specific stipulations and his recitation of the consequences for the nation of their response in chapter 28. Whereas verses 1–15 of this chapter had looked forward to the time when Israel would be well-established in the land, with the opening phrase “this day” in verse 16 Moses refocuses his hearers’ attention on the present moment of decision.2 Although elsewhere the participle construction with “commanding [you]” always has Moses as the subject, for the first time Yahweh issues the commands.3 Moses hereby reminds his congregation that while he has been speaking, they have actually been hearing the voice of Yahweh their God.
The reference to “these decrees and laws” (haḥuqqîm wehammišpāṭîm) links this verse with earlier combinations of these terms.4 Together with the verbs “to keep” (šāmar) and “to do, practice” (ʿāśâ, NIV “carefully observe”), this pair of substantives links this statement stylistically and thematically with 12:1, creating a corresponding bookend at the end of Moses’ exposition of specific covenantal issues.
The second part of verse 16 functions as Moses’ pastoral exhortation to take seriously the previous statement. The call to “observe” the will of Yahweh with one’s whole heart and being represents a practical application of the Shema in 6:4. With this ending Moses reminds his audience that a satisfactory relationship with Yahweh is not expressed merely by creedal confessions or by external conformity to the laws; it requires commitment to doing the will of their covenant Lord.
The repetition of “this day” in verse 17 sets verses 17–19 apart from verse 16. Whereas “this day” in verse 16 had formally signaled the conclusion of Moses’ exposition of the terms of Yahweh’s covenant, by repeating the word in verse 17 he signals the formal incorporation of the Torah that he has proclaimed. Both the syntax and the content of verses 17–19 are striking. In keeping with the general tone of the second address, Moses emphasizes that obedience to Yahweh is not to be driven merely by the sense of duty but by keen awareness of the special nature of their relationship. In so doing, he alludes to a formal juridical procedure that he has apparently supervised in the context of his delivery of this address, by which Yahweh and the Israelites who stand before him have formalized their covenant relationship.
Although the lexical and rhetorical links with chapters 5–11 observed in Deuteronomy 26:16 are even more pronounced in verses 17–19,5 these verses also look forward, particularly to 28:1, whose links with this text are tight. Deuteronomy 26:17–19 divides into two parts, each introduced by a clause involving the Hiphil form of the verb “to speak” and displaying remarkable parallelism.6 The Hiphil form is best interpreted in a quasi-juridical sense; the parties to an agreement hear the other party declare their commitment to the terms of the relationship hereby established. Normally it would be out of place for a human vassal to force the divine Suzerain into saying anything;7 therefore the causative Hiphil should probably be interpreted more softly, something like “You have accepted/acknowledged Yahweh’s declaration that he will be your God,” and “Yahweh has accepted/acknowledged your declaration that you will be his treasured people.”8 The term “covenant” is missing from this paragraph, but the declarations that follow show they involve the formalization of a covenant relationship.
These verses obviously involve two declarations, the first by Yahweh (v. 17) and the second by the people (vv. 18–19). The two parts exhibit remarkable grammatical parallelism in that both involve four elements expressed with infinitives construct. While the parallelism is clear, it is not so clear who says what or how it was said. As the presiding officer in the covenant ratification rituals, through indirect speech Moses summarizes the privileges each party accepts and the obligations to which they commit themselves, and in so doing creates some syntactical ambiguities. The respective speeches may be identified as follows:
Moses’ voice: Today, you have had Yahweh declare:
God’s voice: “I will be your God,
And you shall walk in my ways,
And you shall keep my ordinances, and my
commands, and my laws,
And you shall listen to my voice.”
Moses’ voice: Today, Yahweh has had you declare:
The people’s voice: “We will be your treasured people—
just as you promised us—
And we will keep all your commands;
And you shall set us high above all the nations you
have made
for praise, fame, and honor;
And we will be a holy people belonging to Yahweh our God—
just as you promised” (pers. trans.)9
Each speech consists of a declaration of the status within the relationship that the respective speakers accept for themselves, and a commitment to the obligations to which they recognize the others to have committed themselves. Yahweh accepts the status of being Israel’s God, in fulfillment of the oft-repeated promise embodied in the covenant formula,10 and Israel accepts the status of being Yahweh’s treasured people and a holy people belonging to him. Additionally, the Israelites commit themselves to keeping all Yahweh’s commands, in fulfillment of Yahweh’s charge in verse 17b. The obligations to which each party recognizes the other to have committed himself are expressed with active verbs. Yahweh calls on Israel to walk in his ways, to keep all his commands, and to listen to his voice, while Israel recognizes Yahweh’s commitment to set them high above all the nations he has made, for praise, fame, and honor.
The mutuality of this declaration and the evocation of reciprocal commitments is remarkable,11 though not without precedent in the making of treaties/covenants in the ancient world.12 Our text seems to presuppose an oral version of the procedure delineated in these treaties, according to which Israel heard Yahweh declare his commitment to them through the mediation of Moses, and Yahweh heard the people declare their commitment to him.
With these declarations, the present generation standing before Moses is (re)constituted as the privileged “people of the LORD” (cf. 27:9; 29:13[12]). However, despite the remarkable bilaterality and mutuality of the affirmations, this is no parity treaty: (1) Israel’s relationship to Yahweh has its roots in his ancient promises; (2) while Israel’s obligations involve scrupulous obedience to Yahweh’s revealed will, Yahweh does not reciprocate and commit himself to doing Israel’s will; (3) although Yahweh is Israel’s God, Israel is his possession, analogous to the treasure of kings, and his holy possession; (4) although Yahweh will set Israel high above the nations, Israel has no authority or power to set Yahweh above the gods; (5) although Israel will be elevated high above the nations, this is not for her glory but for the glory of Yahweh.
This concluding statement deserves further comment. By declaring that Yahweh will set Israel high above the nations that he has made, Moses casts his gaze far beyond the Cis- and Transjordanian regions to the world as a whole. This notion is reiterated in 28:1–14 in an economic and political sense as well as in 32:8–9 in an administrative sense (cf. 15:6). In short, Israel will be the head over all and the tail to no one (v. 13). While 26:19 does not describe how Israel will be elevated above the nations, it summarizes the effects: “in praise, fame and honor.” The NIV rendering suggests that the goal is Israel’s praise, fame and glory (cf. Zeph. 3:19–20).13 However, given the flow of the book as a whole and later echoes of this text, it is best to ascribe the glory to God.14 Neither in Deuteronomy nor anywhere else is Israel’s standing among the nations ever to be a source of national pride (cf. 7:7; 8:17–18; 9:4–24).15
Furthermore, 10:21 declares that Israel is to recognize Yahweh as their praise, because of all that he has done for them (cf. 28:9–10). In effect, Israel is to reflect the glory and grace of the God whose name they bear, which will lead the nations to fear them because of that name (cf. 28:1–14).16 This interpretation of the “praise, fame and honor” expressed by the nations is reinforced by Israel’s acceptance of her status as a treasured and holy people belonging to Yahweh. By adding “as he promised” after both phrases in verses 18 and 19, Moses alludes to the benefactions delineated in Exodus 19:5–6. Like Aaron, Israel is to fulfill a priestly role, declaring to the nations the glory of her God and drawing the nations to him.
Bridging Contexts
THE MISSIOLOGICAL AGENDA. WITH this final declaration of Israel’s special status in the divine plan of salvation history, Moses concludes his exposition on the stipulations of the covenant (12:1–26:19). All that remains in this address is to specify the consequences for Israel of her response to the challenge and privilege of covenant relationship with Yahweh (28:1–29:1[28:69]).
Like the ancient Israelites, modern readers of Deuteronomy may be tempted to view God’s election of Israel and his revelation of his will to them as ends in themselves. A superficial reading of the Sinai narratives (Ex. 19–Num. 9) might support this interpretation. Apart from the Egyptians, from whose clutches Yahweh delivered the Israelites, and the Canaanites, whose land Yahweh is about to hand over to them, references to the outside world are rare. Twice Yahweh declares that he separated Israel from the peoples (Lev. 20:24, 26); occasionally the nations witness Yahweh’s actions on Israel’s behalf (Ex. 34:10; Lev. 26:45; Num. 14:15); and Balaam foresaw Israel’s victory over the nations (Num. 24:8). However, the tables are reversed in the covenant curses, which warn of the nations invading Israel and the people perishing among the nations (Lev. 26:33, 38).
Although Israel’s missionary function receives scant emphasis in the Sinai narratives, this does not mean it is absent. On the contrary, Israel’s redemption and constitution as the people of Yahweh are set within the context of his missiological agenda. If Israel would keep Yahweh’s covenant and listen to his voice, they would be his treasured possession, his kingdom of priests, and his holy nation (Ex. 19:5–6). By adding “the whole earth is mine” in 19:5, Yahweh declares his universal goal. He has called Israel to himself and revealed his will to them that the world might learn of the benefits of his glory and grace.
As Abraham’s descendants, Israel is called to fulfill the mission God announced to him in the first recorded encounter: “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen. 12:3). When Yahweh called Abraham to a covenant relationship with himself, when he incorporated the Israelites into this covenant and fleshed out the nature of this covenant at Sinai, and when this covenant was renewed on the plains of Moab, the nations were in view. Through obedience to Yahweh’s will the Israelites would declare publicly how righteous are his statutes (4:6–8) and how gracious is their God.
In Deuteronomy the pattern for missions is fundamentally centripetal.17 While the world watched, Yahweh delivered Israel from her Egyptian bondage, entered into a covenant relationship with her, put Canaan into her hands, and blessed her. As his covenant partner, Israel played a paradigmatic role; what Yahweh had done for them he sought to do for all. However, like Rahab and Ruth, those who seek him must come to Israel. The Pentateuch lacks a missionary mandate like the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18–20, commanding the Israelites to go to the nations and to proclaim the gospel of divine grace. Instead, God placed Israel at the center of the nations (cf. Ezek. 5:5) so that when outsiders saw what Yahweh had done for them, they would praise Yahweh and join Israel in covenant relationship with him.
The partial fulfillment of this mission in the heyday of the monarchy under David and Solomon is reflected in the doxology of the Queen of Sheba in 1 Kings 10:9: “Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness.” Sadly, however, the history of Israel and her mission as a “light for the nations” (Isa. 42:6) was a history of failure. Instead of bringing praise to the name of Yahweh, they brought shame to his name with their moral failure and finally their exile (Ezek. 36:17–21).
With the coming of Christ and the establishment of a covenant community that transcends national and ethnic boundaries, God’s missionary strategy shifts from an essentially centripetal paradigm to a fundamentally centrifugal pattern. Jesus announces the shift in strategy from “come see what God has done for his people” to “Go tell the world what God has done for you” (cf. Matt. 28:18–20). This new paradigm is illustrated dramatically in the book of Acts with the successive outpourings of the Holy Spirit on Jews in Jerusalem (Acts 2), Samaritans (Acts 8), Gentile God-fearers in the land (Acts 10), and the Ephesians as representatives of Gentiles on foreign soil (Acts 19). Indeed Paul, whose relationship to the gospel of Christ, the Redeemer from sin, is analogous to that of Moses’ relationship to the gospel of Yahweh, the Redeemer from bondage, was expressly called to proclaim this gospel to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13; 15:15–16).
However, to conclude that a centrifugal approach has totally displaced the centripetal strategy is simplistic. In 1 Peter 2:9–12 Peter’s understanding of Christians’ missionary role is similar to that of Israel’s. Though addressed to believers scattered among the Gentiles, there is no hint they had traveled to Gentile lands in a conscious missionary effort. Rather, like ancient Israel among the nations, these Christians resided in pagan communities. Through their own experience of God’s grace and by their godly conduct, they were to proclaim the excellencies of the one who had called them out of darkness into his marvelous light. Jesus also assumed this paradigm when he characterized believers as salt and light (Matt. 5:13–16). Indeed the Scriptures close with a glorious vision of people from every tribe and nation redeemed and gathered around the Lamb to worship him (Rev. 5:9; 7:9). This is the supreme example of centripetal missiological strategy.
Contemporary Significance
MISSION FOR CHRISTIANS. WITH these comments on the missiological significance of Deuteronomy 26:16–19 we have touched on the significance of this passage for Christians today.18 This short text provides a summary statement of the privileges and obligations of covenant relationship. In Christ we observe the supreme demonstration of God’s commitment to us. In Christ we hear God say, “I will be your God and you will be my people,” a refrain whose echoes are heard in 2 Corinthians 6:16 and Revelation 21:3. Through his saving work we have become his treasured possession and his holy people. This is our privilege as the new covenant people.
However, with every privilege come responsibilities. If Yahweh required his people Israel to respond to his grace with wholehearted obedience, the same is true for us. In healthy covenant relationships the parties to the covenant commit themselves to acting in the interests of the other person. The same is true of our covenant relationship with God. As Yahweh incarnate, Jesus said, “If you love me [i.e., are covenantally committed to me], you will keep my commands” (pers. trans. of John 14:15; cf. 14:21; 15:10). The charge involves more than simply doing everything Jesus tells the disciples from now on. Rather, “my commands” (entolas)19 is shorthand for the divine will revealed in the context of his covenant with Israel. The God who spoke at Sinai is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, and the fruit he calls us to bear is the fruit of righteous conduct, joyful obedience to his will, as revealed in the Torah.
If Yahweh was glorified through the righteous and faithful conduct of his people Israel, the same is true of the new Israel of God. Indeed, Jesus reminds his disciples that his Father is glorified in this—that the disciples prove to be his disciples by bearing much fruit. As we do so, the glory and grace of the heavenly Father will radiate forth from us, drawing people to him like a great magnet. May believers everywhere be faithful in proclaiming his grace, and may many heed his call to go to the ends of the earth, so that everyone may know that Yahweh, incarnate in Jesus Christ, is God and Lord of all—for his praise, fame, and glory.