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1:12-17 Moses takes the leaders from each tribe of Israel and invests them with authority to judge in legal matters. This, of course, is an administrative matter rather than a cultural matter. But v17 goes beyond technical legalities into the realm of culture. "You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man's presence, for the judgment is God's. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me and I will hear it." Moses is thus demanding an egalitarian culture for the people of God. This, of course, carries over into the New Testament as well. (1 COR 6:1-8)
6:6-9 God's Word was intended to be a central factor in the life of all Israelites. The application of this is cultural. "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." In good Old Testament tradition, some Christians have posters and scriptures displayed all over their homes. They carry memory verse cards in their wallets, and put bumper stickers on their cars. Sometimes this comes across as cheap exhibitionism, but it's actually a good thing to keep God's Word in front of us at all times.
6:7,20-25 "When your son asks you… then you shall say…" My favourite definition of culture includes the idea that culture is passed on in some way. This passage sets out the manner in which this is to take place. Father to son, parent to child. Religious education is not delegated to the priests or tribal elders. It is a responsibility that falls squarely within the jurisdiction of the family. This is not only a strong cultural mandate, but also a means of preserving that culture from generation to generation. In the context of the family home, the Word is to be relayed with wisdom and understanding. Also note that a people's history, if properly cherished and ritually transferred from generation to generation, becomes an important part of the shared culture. In fact, Deuteronomy is rich in history. Moses uses it constantly to reinforce his religious and ethical exhortations.
7:1-5 Moses reiterates the prohibition on marriages with any of the people of Canaan. "For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the Lord will be aroused against you, and destroy you suddenly." Israel was NOT to be a multicultural nation. A similar prohibition of mixed marriages appears in the New Testament. (2 COR 6:14)
10:19 "Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." If this was uniformly obeyed throughout Israel, it would have become a recognizable cultural characteristic of the people. Again, we find the same cultural mandate in the New Testament. (HEB 13:2)
12:23 Prohibition on eating blood. Obviously, this becomes a part of the culture.
14:1 "You are the children of the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves, nor shave the front of your head for the dead." The manner in which a people group mourns their dead often becomes one of their most distinctive cultural features. In this case Moses prohibits a practice which (we can assume) already had some level of cultural acceptance. It's also interesting to note how frequently Moses' remarks are prefaced by a reminder of their identity as a unique people group; as though he was saying: "You are God's people, so this is how you must live."
14:3-21 A detailed list of which creatures were to be eaten and which were to be avoided. Such restrictions were not carried over to the New Testament but were discussed. (eg ROM 14:1-3,14)
15:7-11 Generosity towards the poor. This comes in the context of the law of the sabbath debt release. Sometimes a part of the Mosaic law becomes a custom, but the law itself is not cultural. Only the manner in which the law is to be carried out is cultural. Thus generosity towards the poor becomes part of the nation's cultural identity.
15:12-18 The laws for sending away a Hebrew slave in the seventh year. Again, it is the attitude of generosity that makes this a cultural thing. But also the process of piercing the ear of a servant who wishes to stay. This is more a prescribed custom than a law. I certainly see it as a cultural routine.
16:1-17 The Passover, the Feast of Weeks and the Feat of Tabernacles. These great feasts of Israel can be seen as moral and historical lessons couched heavily in a cultural format. In a sense, they perform a similar function to the Lord's Supper in the New Testament.
20:1-19 Preparations for war. "So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. And he shall say to them: 'Hear O Israel: today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.' " The ritual goes on in v5, when the officers ask a series of questions designed to exempt certain people from participating in the battle. This is clearly not a law, but a custom that Moses was setting up. It was to become part of Israel's battle culture.
There are many other laws in Deuteronomy and many of them have implications for the national culture. I hope the ones that I have briefly described have at least demonstrated that the book has a strong cultural imperative. The people of God must not live according to the customs and beliefs of other nations. Instead, they must obey God and in doing so allow God to determine and mould their unique culture.
I contend that the same principle applies exactly to Christians under the New Testament.
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