Walking Through Deuteronomy: Questions, Laughter, and Revelation.

There is something deeply satisfying about finishing a long book—especially one like Deuteronomy. For one reader, it did not just feel like the end of a book, but “like the end of a series… a long-awaited one.”

Her journey through Deuteronomy was not quiet or passive. It was full of questions, laughter, pauses, and moments of real reflection. And by the end of it, she found herself not only learning about God, but also seeing Christ more clearly.

“I have really enjoyed this book,” she wrote. “I have learnt a lot about God in this book. And I have also learnt a lot about Christ.”

What stood out most to her was the centrality of salvation. The idea that everything ultimately points to the finished work of Jesus. She noted: “It is very important that we understand the finished work of Jesus on the cross. It is only when we do that we will be able to truly live for Him and carry out our own commission.”

From there, her thoughts moved toward purpose—both the shared calling of believers and the personal sense of assignment: “We have the great commission: go into all the world and make disciples… and our personal commission: purpose and calling.”

But as she moved through the text, she did not just reflect—she wrestled. Deuteronomy stirred questions in her, some light-hearted, others deeply theological, and others still, very personal.

At one point, reading Deuteronomy 23:10, she paused and asked: “What is a nocturnal emission? Going to the bathroom at night? Night sex? Or vomiting?”

Later, when encountering the Edomites, she wondered: “Were Edomites descendants of Esau?”

As she read laws about punishment, her mind drew connections forward: “I wonder what this has to do with Jesus’ flogging… as in, the parallel. Sometimes when I read the rules and regulations that the Israelites had, I’m grateful not to be an Israelite. It’s odd because I never feel this way about being a Christian.”

Some questions touched on culture and tradition: “Is this where the Luo tradition comes from?” she asked, after reading about levirate marriage in Deuteronomy 25:5.

Others moved into covenant and identity: “Is this (future generations) us? Or are we of the covenant of Jesus? Do these blessings and curses apply to us today?” “Does this future include us today? Or did it end when Jesus came?”

As she read about restoration and regathering, she wondered aloud: “I wonder if the Jews will all return to Jerusalem before Christ’s second coming.”

Her curiosity extended into historical and prophetic connections: “Is this the same book King Jehoshaphat read to the Israelites when he called for prayer and fasting and a return to God?”

Then the questions became more personal.

When she read about Moses being told his time had come in Deuteronomy 31:14, she paused: “Think of the day God will tell you this: ‘The time has come for you to die.’ What will you do? What will be going through your mind? Are you prepared? Are you ready?”

She wrestled with legacy and meaning: “If I don’t go to heaven but I had a good name and was well respected, will it matter? If I leave a legacy but did not live out my God-given purpose, will it matter? Will my life count in heaven?”

Leadership and succession also stood out to her. As she watched the transition from Moses to Joshua, she asked: “Did Joshua know he was Moses’ successor when he served him? Was he being prepared? What kind of man was he? Can this teach us something about succession planning?” Then, “What is commissioning? Has God commissioned you? To what has He commissioned you?”

Some questions remained deeply mysterious: “What were the Thummim and Urim? No Bible teacher I’ve come across has ever been able to answer me.”

Even in moments of reflection, her personality came through—honest, expressive, and unfiltered.

On reading about the one-year exemption for newly married men, she laughed: “Honeymoon ilikuwa one year!”

On the detailed blessings and curses of chapter 28: “Weuh… all of Deuteronomy 28 is a depiction of the Israelites over the years.”

On one particular verse: “Did it have to say ‘and become fat’? But the problem isn’t becoming fat—it’s what they do after becoming fat!”

Her reflections were not only intellectual—they were deeply spiritual.

She wrestled with surrender, especially around Deuteronomy 29:29: “I struggled with this verse for years until I surrendered my need to know to God. I now believe He tells me things on a need-to-know basis.”

She reflected on communication and calling: “I am learning that knowing how to relate God’s message to people is very important… communication is only effective when the other person understands.”

She recognized the challenge of ministry: “Tone, posture, non-verbal cues are very important… this calling is not easy.”

And perhaps one of her most vivid realizations came from seeing how God speaks about the future: “When God tells you something, it is a summarized version. If He gave you the full version, you wouldn’t go!”

She imagined the Israelites walking around Jericho, confused and questioning, only to later realize that God had indeed gone before them.

Her journey was also filled with reassurance. Verses like Deuteronomy 31:6 anchored her: “God will not abandon me. Even when He is silent… He is there. That is a whole other level of trust.”

She reflected on teaching the next generation: “Dear parents… are you teaching your children the gospel? Or have you left it to school and church?”

Then, in a moment that captured both wonder and joy, she wrote: “God can sing! I want to hear Him sing.”

By the end of the book, her reflections settled into something simple, yet weighty: “God is faithful. He keeps His promises… Believe God because He is dependable. He has a plan—even when we don’t understand it.”

Finally, her closing encouragement—practical, grounded, and very real: “Stay in Him. No matter how hard this journey of faith gets. No matter what curveballs life throws your way—stay in Him. Hata ukikonda, usibanjuke!”

The reader goes by the name Susan. A prophetess, a friend and minister of the gospel through her life and career.