DeuteronomyStudy Guide

Chapter 16

Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.

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Scripture

KJV

1Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.

2Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there.

3Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.

4And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning.

5Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee:

6But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.

7And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.

8Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work therein.

9Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn.

10And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:

11And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there.

12And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.

13Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:

14And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.

15Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.

16Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

17Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

18Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

19Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

20That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

21Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.

22Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.

Key VerseDeuteronomy 16:20

That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Overview

Moses gives instructions for the three annual pilgrimage feasts: Passover and Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast of Tabernacles. All males must appear before the Lord at His chosen place three times a year, and none shall appear empty-handed. Moses also commands the appointment of judges and officers in every city who must judge righteously without partiality or bribery.

Key Themes

1

Three Annual Encounters with God

God requires every male to appear before Him three times a year, establishing a rhythm of regular, personal encounter that prevents faith from becoming distant or abstract.

2

Give According to Your Blessing

No one shall appear before God empty-handed but shall give 'as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee' — giving is proportional to blessing, and encounter with God always involves offering.

3

Justice as a Foundation of Society

The appointment of righteous judges in every city establishes justice as foundational to national life — without impartial courts, the covenant community cannot function.

Study Questions

1.

Why does God require three annual pilgrimages — what does the regularity of these encounters accomplish in the life of faith?

2.

How does the principle 'every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD' (v. 17) shape our understanding of generosity?

3.

What is the connection between the festival calendar and the administration of justice in the same chapter?

4.

How does the command 'Justice, justice shalt thou follow' (v. 20, literal Hebrew) emphasize the priority of impartial judgment?

5.

What do the three feasts together teach about the full arc of God's redemptive work?

Connection to Christ

Christ fulfilled all three feasts: He is the Passover Lamb sacrificed at the first feast, the firstfruits of the Spirit poured out at Pentecost, and the one whose return will bring the final ingathering of Tabernacles. In Him, every pilgrimage feast finds its destination.

Personal Reflection

Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Deuteronomy 16. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?

Deuteronomy

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