Why Study Deuteronomy with a Friend?
At the heart of the promised land are two mountains. And at the heart of Deuteronomy, there’s a call for the people to gaze at these mountains and remember all that they are, and all that they’ve been given by Yahweh, the Lord their God.
Mountains and Deuteronomy go hand in hand. And not only for God’s people back then. A simple glance at Deuteronomy’s pages and what’s within can quickly make us feel like we’re climbing up a mountain, with little hope of reaching its peak! It’s long. There are some really challenging chapters that will stir the fiercest of emotions. And there’s a massive chunk of law in the middle that feels ever-so irrelevant in today’s world.
So why bother studying Deuteronomy with a friend? Why open its pages with another sister in Christ?
Here are just a handful of encouragements for why you should consider it:
KEEPING GOING: With bigger books of the Bible, it is easy to get disheartened and give up part way through, when we’re reading through on our own. But there’s a beautiful accountability that comes from committing to read it with a friend over a period of time, and discussing what you find within it.
QUESTIONS: Talking through parts of the Bible we don’t understand is crucial. It’s all too easy to glaze over something on our own, but there’s wonderful value in thrashing out our questions with others, even if we don’t end up answering all of our questions. And there’s a whole lot of quetsions to talk through in Deuteronomy!
COMMUNITY: At its heart, Deuteronomy is a sermon to a community of people. It’s made for dwelling on, talking through and living out in community, over the dishes, on a walk, as you clear up the duplo or commute to work. Why wouldn’t you study it with a friend?
CHRIST: Ultimately it’s not only a book about Christ, but it’s the book Jesus quotes the most. Begin to understand Deuteronomy, and you will grow in understanding Christ. And what better way to grow than to do that alongside someone else, praying for and encouraging one another with the treasure you find?
