Deuteronomy 16-17: Festivals and Government

Deuteronomy 16: The Passover Reviewed / The Festival of Weeks Reviewed / The Festival of Booths Reviewed / Municipal Judges and Officers
Deuteronomy 17: Forbidden Forms of Worship / Legal Decisions by Priests and Judges / Limitations of Royal Authority

Festival Day! Also, Governance Day! Miscellaneous rules and regulations are given regarding the celebration of festivals and the governance of the Israelites.

The Passover Reviewed: Deuteronomy 16.1-8
The passover commemorates the Israelites' departure from Egypt, during which time there was not enough time to bake leavened bread, so it was left unleavened. The holiday is meant to invoke the story by requiring the Israelites eat unleavened bread for seven days. On the first day, the Israelites are to make an animal sacrifice in the place of worship that God designates, and eat it there with their families. This is to be done "in the evening at sunset, the time of day when you departed from Egypt" (Deut. 16.6). Previous to this statement, the time of day that the Israelites departed is unclear. This addition fleshes out the passover story while giving an etiological reason for the practice.

The Festival of Weeks Reviewed: Deuteronomy 16.9-12
The festival of weeks is to be observed by everyone in Israel at the place of centralized worship the Lord designates. It consists of a freewill offering to the Lord in proportion to the blessing received from the Lord - a way of saying "thank you" in proportion for the help given. The date of the festival is seven weeks beginning from the time of the harvest [a summer festival].

The Festival of Booths Reviewed: Deuteronomy 16.13-17
The autumn festival of booths is a seven-day festival at the end of the harvest season. It will be celebrated by everyone in Israel at the place of centralized worship the Lord designates.

Throughout all these festivals, the males are to appear before the Lord and make an offering:

"They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed; all shall give as they are able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you."
(Deut. 16.16-17)

Sounds a little like Karl Marx, no?

Municipal Judges and Officers: Deuteronomy 16.18-20
The Israelites are to appoint judges and officials to keep a just society. Fairness is a very important component of Israelite life:

You must not distort justice; you must not show partiality; and you must not accept bribes, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, so that you may live and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
(Deut. 16.19-20)

Forbidden Forms of Worship: Deuteronomy 16.21-17.7
The Israelites are forbidden from practices that resemble pagan worship: planting trees as sacred poles, erecting stone pillars, sacrificing to the Lord impure (or unholy; not-separate) animals (those deemed "defective").

In addition, anyone that subverts worship of the Lord is to be stoned to death if there are two or more witnesses. This law promotes justice by attempting to prevent unwarranted accusations.

Legal Decisions by Priests and Judges: Deuteronomy 17.8-13
Any case that is too difficult to decide by a judge or official within a town is to be brought to the levitical priests and a judge at the place God has designated for worship. The verdict shall stand and the punishment should be carried out. Anyone who disobeys the word of the priest or judge shall die. Word shall be spread of the decision in order to prevent future crimes.

Limitations of Royal Authority: Deuteronomy 17.14-20
Here the book of Deuteronomy gets a bit prophetic. Moses, who has been speaking on behalf of God, tells the congregation that eventually the Israelites will want a king. This is true. The king must be an Israelite. However, he may not abuse his power or sell people to Egypt (in order to buy more things, here "horses") and thereby abuse his power. Israel is never again to return to Egypt. He must not marry many women or else he will lose faith in God. He must not acquire great riches. He is to know the law - in fact, it is to be written out before him when he takes the throne. He is to keep this law with him at all times so that he will fear the Lord and not exalt himself above the Lord.

How is this prophetic? Well, it predicts a king, which in fact the Israelites will plead for. It also predicts a specific king: King Solomon, who pretty much disobeyed all the commandments listed here. But prophecy in the bible is a funny thing because it is generally written after what is predicted has come to pass and set in a time before the event. Therefore King Solomon's reign is "predicted" in a text that is written after his reign but set in a time before it.