Covenantide Readings

Sun	Of Free Will WCF 9
Mon	OT: Deuteronomy 1 NT: Matthew 7 Psalm 119:33-40
Tues	OT: Deuteronomy 2 NT: Matthew 8 Psalm 119:41-48
Wed	OT: Deuteronomy 3 NT: Matthew 9 Psalm 119:49-56
Thur	OT: Deuteronomy 4 NT: Matthew 10 Psalm 119:57-64
Fri	OT: Deuteronomy 5 NT: Matthew 11 Psalm 119:65-72
Sat	OT: Deuteronomy 6 NT: Matthew 12 Psalm 119:73-80

Reading Notes

This week will begin our reading through the Book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy tends to be underappreciated by most Christians even though canonically it is actually one of the most important books in the Bible. It is one of the most quoted Old Testament books in the New Testament, including by our Lord Himself. It is the capstone of the Pentateuch–the first five books of the Old Testament, all authored by Moses–and is the foundation for the “Deuteronomic Histories” of Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, and 1 & 2 Kings. It functions as the constitution of ancient Israel, and so when the prophets make their indictment against the people later in Israel’s history, the grounds for their indictments rest on the covenantal stipulations provided in Deuteronomy. Indeed, it is precisely because Deuteronomy has this covenantal role that account of Hilkiah finding the “Book of the Law” (i.e., Deuteronomy) during the renovations to the Temple is so tragic: God’s People had forgotten the very constitution that God gave them (2 Kings 22:3-20). As Meredith Kline has pointed out in his book, Treaty of the Great King, Deuteronomy is structured like a quintessential suzerain-vassal covenant. The attached outline is a slightly modified version of how Kline himself outlined the book.

The New Testament readings continue through the Gospel of Matthew and the Psalm readings continue through Psalm 119, an extended praise to God for His Law. The readings in the Westminster Standards for this week will begin a section covering the panorama of salvation that goes from Chapter 9 of the Westminster Confession to Chapter 18.