Deuteronomy chapter 11

vs 12

So the reason it's a good land is because God makes it so. We could talk about weather patterns and soil structure, or all that stuff, but at the end of the day that's all in God'scontrol anyway. As the Israelites will find out when the locust plagues start happening.

vs 13

Note that this statement is said to fulfill all the commands - of which there are many. So saying that the great commandment isn't meant to summarise the commands is just wrong - it states as much here.

vs 14

Obviously rain out of season is less useful.

vs 15

Which is very satisfying - especially if you're eating cattle.

vs 16

This warning has been around for a while now. But it's interesting that there can be a link between a material blessing that comes from God, and a subsequent turning away from him. I know various translations put a paragraph marker here, but it's still interesting that they are next to each other.

vs 17

So you see, God's looking after the land is totally reliant upon the Israelites' obedience. This is a covenant, but it has a lot of carrot and stick to it, which is different to most of the other covenants made by God. It is pretty much tied to the land though - the carrot and stick stuff, I mean. The relationship stuff isn't based purely on obedience.

vs 18

Was this really meant to be literal? I mean, you can't fix the words on your heart and mind, so were you meant to literally tie them to yourself? I know people did. I'm not really prepared to comment on the effectiveness, as I notice we don't do it now.

vs 19

So that means pretty much all the time. These laws are to be part of the culture. We might worry about them being consigned to history, but history, as I've said many times before, only seems to get shoved into the past by the western world. I read something recently that said that individualism devalues history, so perhaps that's it.

vs 20

This stuff has been said before, but repetition means rememberance. I suppose having a copy of Footprints hanging in the bathroom counts? It must do - every Christian household seems to have one.

vs 21

So this writing them on door frames and wearing them is important, because it is couched in the same language of the covenant. Remembering the words of God will mean they stay in the land a long time.

vs 22

Again, another short summary of the covenant, useful for memorising and remembering, no doubt.