Deut 11:20-21
20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. NIV
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need to put on my investigator hat in order to catch up in a conversation. When someone seemingly starts in the middle of a thought, it often takes me several moments to connect all the dots. It is as if my hearing goes into high gear, and my brain goes into search mode trying to pull all the pieces together. Sometimes I am successful.
Parallel sentence structure can help us to understand the meaning of things spoken and written. Let me give you an example. I have seven grand children and kids have a love hate relationship with puns. So being the good grandfather, I make lots of puns.
I also pull words apart to make new meanings as a way to “out pun” them. The “alphabet” gets split and turned into the “first bet”. When it is made in a context, it makes sense. My one grandson just puts his head in his hands and groans when I make these kinds of puns.
If a hearer heard my pun, they might not understand it’s use in our conversation. They would think, “That guy is in a completely different conversation. What does the first bet have to do with ancient writing systems!” The context helps us with the meaning.
Our text is no exception. There are two parallel ideas sitting right next to each other in these verses. The first is the time the descendants of Abraham will spend in the Promised Land. They will live “in” the land. They will be walking and residing in this land that really isn’t theirs. It was a gift from the LORD.
The second element is hidden behind the translation of the last phrase, “as many as the days that the heavens are “above” the earth.” That word “above” is the same word as the “in” used in the previous phrase.
There are days of living in the Promised Land and days that will be lived in the heavenly realm. And these two sets of days get fused together in these verses. The LORD wants to give them days on earth as the days in heaven. The New American Standard translation has this noted in the footnote.
…the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, (the days of the heavens) remain above the earth.
It could be roughly translated “The LORD swore to your fathers to give them as the days of the heavens upon the earth.”
The days of the heavens are beyond counting. They can’t be quantified. They are beyond number.
So the promise to those who will be entering the Land is that their possession of the Land will be a permanent possession. Just as the heavens have no limit to the time frame for habitation, so the Land has no limit to the people of God. It will be their permanent home.
By paying attention to the parallel “in” and “above”, (both being the same word in the original Hebrew) the connection can be made. The promise is of an occupation that will last forever. That is because it isn’t dependent on human actions. The LORD is the one who promises with an oath and He will fulfill it.
The writing of the words on the doorposts and gates is to be a constant reminder that their homes are not theirs to do with as they please. This is only a temporary resting spot. The LORD has promised another home, one that can’t be forfeited by disobedience, a home in the presence of the LORD.
The Arnold Journey 