Last year when I was doing some Old Testament subjects, I came across a description of the book of Deuteronomy as ‘The Romans of the Old Testament’.

For those unfamiliar with Romans, this is a New Testament book: a letter to Christians in Rome, written by Paul, the apostle. Known for its theological depth and detail, Romans is often held up as the pinnacle of New Testament thinking.

I’ve always liked the book of Deuteronomy, but I’d never heard it described in this way before. I usually thought of it as the book in which Moses stands up and starts talking. Then keeps talking. Then still keeps talking… all the way until the end of the book, when he dies.

‘The Romans of the Old Testament’ is probably a more apt description.

My favourite chapter in Deuteronomy is chapter eight. It’s Moses’ reflection on the goodness of God whilst they’ve been in the wilderness for many years, containing a warning to stay the path of faithfulness. It also contains a reflection on ‘the why’ of the wilderness.

Deuteronomy is delivered as the Israelites are on the edge of The Jordan, about to experience the pleasure of the promised land.

Moses tells them to “Take 5” (for 34 chapters) and, long before reflective journalling was cool, Moses tells God’s people to stop and think on these things:

1. Obedience is tied to blessing – if the Israelites wish to be a strong nation, they must have God on their side. They show that they are siding with God through their obedience.
2. God can be trusted – has not God led them and guided them the whole way thus far? He can be trusted as they enter the promised land. And beyond then, can he not be trusted still?
3. God has been checking their hearts – they didn’t just spend time in the wilderness for nothing. God loves his people and he wants to test that their hearts are in the right place. This is better done when there are less ‘creature comforts’. A truer assessment of character can take place when one is lacking.
4. The nation is at stake – if they turn away from their God and refuse to obey him then there will be destruction.

The Israelites are about to enter the promised land. It is critical that they know in whom they trust and that God is the only one who is to be trusted.

Because it’s all too easy to think that we’re self-sufficient and that the strength of our own hands is what has achieved our work, whether inside the church or elsewhere.

But in reality, I can’t even type a blog post without God’s help.

Or we might think that we’re super righteous and that’s why God has chosen us as his people. But that’s not the model of God’s style of operation with his people, as displayed with the ancient Jews. Rather, it’s due to the wickedness of others (Ch9).

If it’s anything to do with us, it’s to do with how insignificant we are:

The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore… (Ch7)

That doesn’t sound anything like the self-congratulatory rhetoric of the modern world, does it?

But it’s how God rolls. And frankly, I prefer it.

If everything is dependent on how I perform, then I’m doomed. I can’t always perform. Most days I’m half asleep and firing on half cylinders.

I can’t rely on my performance because it will never be good enough, even for my own standards, let alone God’s. And I don’t have to.

And neither do you.

There is nothing we can do to make God love us more and nothing we could do to make him love us less.

It’s God that leads us out of the wilderness and into the promised land. Not our own strength.

That’s why it’s called grace. And amazing.

Yours reflecting on the wilderness,

Alison