Year 7, Day 167: Deuteronomy 16

Theological Commentary: Click Here

When I look at Deuteronomy 16, I hear a commentary on doing the right thing.  No, we don’t hear this advice in any one particular place.  This isn’t even a chapter commenting on morality or ethics.  Yet if we break it down, this chapter is simply about choosing to do the right thing.

We start by looking at the feasts.  Moses tells the people that they are expected to keep the feasts.  He tells them how to keep them.  He tells them when to keep them.  He tells them who should keep them.  He even tells them not to show up empty-handed.  They are expected.  One might even say that they are the reasonable obligations of the Hebrew people.  Moses point is simple.  When you are figuring out whether or not to go to the festival, make the right choice.  Do the right thing.  Live up to what is expected of you.

Then, we turn to the tidbit near the end of the chapter where Moses says to not expect bribes.  Again, do the right thing.  We all know that bribes cause people to overlook transgression.  We also realize that when (not if) word of a bribe gets out that the constituency will lose faith in its leaders.  Justice will suffer.  Communities will become fractured.  In the end, this can be avoided by just doing the right thing.  Don’t take bribes.  It clouds the judgment.

Finally, we hear the even more brief snippet about where to worship.  We are not to set up Asherah poles.  In other words, Moses is telling the people not to worship the gods who got the Canaanites into trouble.  When in doubt, make the right choice.  Remember that it is God who gets us out of the situations in our life and worship Him instead.

The advice of this chapter is simple.  When a challenging decision comes your way, sit down and ask a very simple question.  What is the right thing to do in this circumstance?  When we do the right thing, we seldom go wrong.

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