Tough Love
- God's love is like a parent's love—sometimes, you have to let your kid struggle a bit.
- At this point in the recap, God forces the Israelites into the desert for forty years, but he makes sure that they're fed, don't overheat, and that their feet don't swell up. These difficult situations are supposed to be seen as a kind of test or humbling experience. It gives the reader the impression that God is in control even when times are bad.
- Next lesson: When you enter the land, don't get cocky. Remember that God brought you through the wasteland—you most certainly didn't do it yourself. Oh, yeah, and in case you forgot that manna thing from verse 3, it's repeated in verse 16.
- Yes, Deuteronomy is a bit redundant. Why? A lot of these books would have been read aloud, and repetition helped people remember it. Literacy wasn't exactly widespread in the ancient world.
- God acts like a parent again, warning the Israelites of disaster if they follow other gods. Tired of hearing about other gods yet? Don't be. There's plenty more to come.