Aug 13, 2009

Texts:
Numbers 36
Deuteronomy 1
Psalm 32

Numbers ends with a clarification about inheritance. Personally, it seems to be an odd ending for a story. In any case, while daughters can inherit their father's lands (in the absence of brothers to inherit), they cannot marry outside of their clans. This keeps the land from leaving the tribe and being given to another tribe.

Deuteronomy:
In some ways it looks as if Deuteronomy begins right where Numbers leaves off. But this book is written by a later voice. The Deuteronomist is not just restating things. He reinterprets them, using addresses by Moses to the people.
"Deuteronomy" comes from the Latin for "second law", which is unfortunately a bad rendering of a Hebrew phrase. In the Hebrew Scriptures, this book is called "Devarim" (the words) and that title comes from the opening lines, "These are the words that Moses spoke....".

Psalms:
Use this psalm as a prayer. Which line of this psalm speaks to you today?