Leaders from the Grave
On the opening of Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy opens with a review of Israel’s history from Egypt to Canaan’s edge. Moses begins at the end of Israel’s stay at Horeb (Deuteronomy 1:6-8) and the selection of judges for Israel (Deuteronomy 1:9-18; a conflation of Exodus 18:13-27 with Numbers 11:10-25).
It’s an odd place to begin. Why not the exodus? Why not the Ten Words? Moses doesn’t get to the Ten Words until Deuteronomy 5. He refers to the exodus constantly (e.g., 1:27, 30), but doesn’t speak of the passage through the sea until Deuteronomy 11:1-4.
There’s a literary-structural reason for this beginning. Yahweh tells Israel to “turn and journey and go to the mount of the Amorites” (1:7). Israel obeys the command: “we set out from Horeb . . . on the way to the mount of the Amorites” (1:19). Between command and compliance, though, there are ten verses about something else.
Then the same pattern is repeated. Moses tells Israel, “Yahweh your God has given the land before your face; ascend, take possession” (1:21). Instead of an immediate fulfillment, there’s another “interlude” about the spies who check out the land (1:22-25).
The two “interludes” (1:9-18; 1:22-25) share a number of details:
*In both, men are chosen for a particular task – to judge and to spy.
*Moses “takes” both judges and spies (1:15, 23).
*Moses proposes to choose judges, and it’s good (tov) to the people (1:13-14). The people propose to choose spies, and it’s good to Moses (1:23; verb is yatov).
*Judges “hear” (1:16); spies “spy” (1:24).
*Judges are not to fear (1:17); the spies’ report makes the people fear (1:29).
Thus, the overall pattern of Deuteronomy 1 is:
A. Command from Yahweh, 1:6-8.
B. Choice of men to judge, 1:9-18.
C. Compliance with command, 1:19.
A’. Command from Moses, 1:21.
B’. Choice of men to spy, 1:22-25.
C’. ?
The repeated cycle sets us up for the shock of 1:26: “You were not willing, but rebelled against the mouth of Yahweh your God.” Instead of the expected command-compliance sequence, we find an alarming sequence of command-noncompliance.
Choosing judges and spies is supposed to be part of obedience to Yahweh’s command to take possession of Canaan. Moses selects judges so Israel will be well-governed when they enter the land; spies are chosen to assist with the conquest.
Conquering and possessing the land isn’t enough. Yahweh wants Israel to inhabit the land, and to live well in it. To do that, Israel needs wise, discerning men of reputation, fearless men of justice who will hear the small, the great, and even aliens (1:16-17).
As Jeff Meyers pointed out in our Theopolis podcast on this passage, it doesn’t turn out that way. The spies bring a bad report about the good land. Along with the rest of the people, the judges believe the spies, their hearts melt, and they accuse Yahweh of bringing them out of Egypt to kill them in the wilderness (1:26-33).
Israel won’t get the judges they need until the first generation dies in the wilderness. Israel doesn’t get just leaders until a new Israel rises from the grave of the old.