In many ways the Book of Deuteronomy is the heart of the Pentateuch and the Hebrew Scriptures. It lays everything out in clear terms. The first chapters begin with Moses recounting God's redemptive work on Israel's behalf. These are followed by chapters offering a detailed list of God's requirements for Israel to live as he intends. Next Deuteronomy presents a simple formula for God's blessing or punishing Israel for her faithfulness or rebellion. This is followed by Moses calling on God's creation as a witness to God and Israel's commitment to the covenant between them and the certainty that repercussions, either good or bad, would follow Israel's choices. The final chapters are devoted to Moses' final acts: his turning leadership over to Joshua, blessing Israel and teaching them a sacred song that would serve as a national moral anthem, and climbing Mt. Nebo to view the Promised Land before his death. No other book in the Bible has such a comprehensive record of God's intentions and actions toward, requirements and consequences for, and commitment to Israel. One could argue that if only this book existed in the Hebrew Bible, Judaism would still have been established.
