Deuteronomy--Jesus' Favorite Book? Did He list this on Goodreads?

go around quizzing people over this at your next pot luck: what book did Jesus quote from exclusively in His grueling wilderness temptation? (or, if you're a grammar nazi you could put your preposition elsewhere. . . ) . that's right. DEUTERONOMY. (If Deuteronomy were a dude, that would be his nickname. Dude. it's just too hard to say Dute. But I can kind of hear Dude sporting a little tude, with a little, Yeah, what's the sexiest book in the old testament now???? Bite me Song of Songs! Jesus never even quoted you once)

apparently a star feature of deuteronomy is it's likeness to a well known Hittite and/or Assyrian treaty format. that format structures the book overall and is pretty awesome because it's not a treaty between nations; it's a treaty between a people and their God. so maybe Jesus quoting it to satan in the wilderness was a little like Dr. Who* citing the Shadow Proclamation to his arch enemy. i just mean He's citing a LAW-it was like the constitution for God, humanity, and the universe. (until Jesus wrote a new constitution when the Law failed, but He pointedly upheld and quoted the Old One until the appointed time, until the old law was fulfilled and the New One instituted in its place. )

even though it is laid out in this general legal structure, it adds exhortations, poetry, and other elaborations, and Holman's characterizes it as a farewell sermon of Moses. . .

some beautiful stuff in deuteronomy. everybody's favorite is chapter 28 i think. but i won't spoil it for you, go read it for yourself.


*. . . or Dr. Who was like Jesus. . . well they both do the time travel thing (: . . . but we know Jesus was at the VERY beginning. . . and while i'm veering off topic, Dr. Who really is Jesus, i mean He's the Christ figure in that myth, pretty amazingly too. . .