Readers Guide: “The Word for Today” Sunday, October 14, 2012 Read – Deuteronomy 3 & 4 Of the two chapters read for today chapter 4 is the more important. The chapter is a call to faithfulness. One of the important and neat things about the way in which the book of Deuteronomy tells the story is to write the current recipients into the story – “You were at Horeb. You were in the desert….” The story of the Bible is not just about other people it is about us. Incidentally, the use of Horeb for the name of the mountain does not mean that the book of Deuteronomy understands the giving of the 10 Commandments to have taken place at a location different from in the book of Exodus. Horeb is simply a different name for Mount Sinai. Though it may not always hold true, the use of Horeb usually reflects the Northern tribes which became the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Elijah and Elisha worked there in the north and they use Horeb. This also probably means that the book of Deuteronomy has its origins in the Northern Kingdom or at least from those who came from the Northern Kingdom. More about that much later when we get to the story of Josiah. You may have notices that we are falling behind the lessons we are reading on Sundays at this time. Eventually we will catch up with our Sunday readings but there is much to cover in a survey of the Old Testament. So hang in there until the Sunday texts meet our daily reading a few weeks from now.