Deuteronomy 17 deals with legal issues. If someone is caught worshiping other gods and two or three witnesses can attest to it that person is to be stoned to death. While each region has its own judges, if a decision is too difficult to render the parties must come to the place where God is and consult with the priests and judge there. Whatever decision they render is final.

After the people have settled in the land, if they decide that they want a king from their own people they may have one. They are not to have a foreigner as a king. The king must never return to Egypt for any reason. The king will have a copy of the law and read from it every day so he may fear God and observe the statutes.

In Deuteronomy 18 Moses reminds the people that the Levites have been selected by God and are to receive part of the offerings. He continues to warn them against practicing any of the practices of the nations they will enter. They are not to listen to any soothsayers or diviners. The Lord will choose a prophet like Moses to speak for Him to the people. They will know if the prophet is for God by whether his words come true.

In this day and age when people want to listen to all kinds of predictions: from Nostradamus to the Mayans it is important for us to put our trust in the Lord.

Romans 3 posits the thesis of the entire letter. Paul establishes that everyone: Jew or Gentile, sins. While the Jews have the law, it’s purpose is to reveal the knowledge of sin. It shows us that we are sinful. All of us are sinful and fall short of the glory of God. We only stand justified before him because of God’s gift of grace made available to us through redemption in Jesus. We are not justified by our works of righteousness. We are only justified by faith in Christ. Because we have this faith we then can uphold the law.