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The same was true of the Israelites. Yahweh performed many powerful deeds to help Israel. But over time, they would tend to forget those deeds. In today’s Scripture reading, we will see that Moses commanded Israel to remember what Yahweh did in the past, so that they would be confident that Yahweh would act on their behalf in the future. It is a good idea for us to do the same.

The context of the 26th chapter of Deuteronomy is that Israel was on the east bank of the Jordan River, ready to cross the river into Canaan, the Promised Land. Moses spoke a long monologue in which he reviewed Israel’s history and their law.

Deut. 26:1 ¶ “Then it will be, when you enter the land which Yahweh your God gives you as an inheritance and you possess it and live in it,

Notice the word “when”. The instructions in today’s passage were to be carried out after Israel entered the Promised Land and took possession of it.

Deut. 26:2 that you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground which you bring in from your land that Yahweh your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place where Yahweh your God chooses for His name to dwell.

Deut. 26:3 And you shall go to the priest who is in office in those days and say to him, ‘I declare this day to Yahweh my God that I have entered the land which Yahweh swore to our fathers to give us.’

Deut. 26:4 Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of Yahweh your God.

Deut. 26:5 And you shall answer and say before Yahweh your God, ‘My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; but there he became a great, mighty, and populous nation.

Look at the words “father” and “Aramean”.

Noah’s son Shem had five sons: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. The Arameans were descendants of Aram (see Genesis 10:21). Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were descendants of Arpachshad (see Genesis 11). When Abraham left Ur to go to Canaan, he stopped partway and lived in Haran for many years. Haran was in the territory of the Arameans. Abraham’s servant went to the Arameans to find a wife for Isaac, meaning Isaac married an Aramean. Jacob lived among the Arameans and married Aramean sisters: Leah and Rachel.

Jacob was part Aramean. He wandered between Canaan, Aram, and Egypt. When Jacob moved to Egypt, he only had 70 descendants, but 400 years later his descendants numbered 600,000 men.

Deut. 26:6 And the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us and imposed hard slave labor on us.

Deut. 26:7 Then we cried out to Yahweh, the God of our fathers, and Yahweh heard our voice and saw our affliction and our toil and our oppression;

Deut. 26:8 and Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror and with signs and wonders;

Deut. 26:9 and He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

This history of Israel is recorded in Exodus and Numbers.

One of the things we see frequently throughout Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy is an exhortation to the Israelites to remember their history. They were to remember everything Yahweh did for them. Remembering Yahweh’s power would give them confidence as they entered the Promised Land and encountered cities and people groups who were much bigger and stronger than them.

This is a good practice for us. Throughout our lives, God has provided for us in many ways. It is easy to forget the past, which means we forget God’s history of providing for our needs, sometimes in somewhat miraculous ways. When we forget what God did in the past, it is easy to doubt He will provide in the future. Thus, when we encounter obstacles and setbacks, it is easy to become discouraged and pessimistic. The more we remind ourselves of what God did in the past, the easier it will be to face the future.

Deut. 26:10 So now behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground which You, O Yahweh, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before Yahweh your God and worship before Yahweh your God;

Deut. 26:11 and you and the Levite and the sojourner who is among you shall be glad in all the good which Yahweh your God has given you and your household.

Deut. 26:12 ¶ “When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the sojourner, to the orphan, and to the widow, that they may eat within your gates and be satisfied.

Don’t miss the word “give”. Part of the purpose of this exercise was to provide for the Levites, sojourners, orphans, and widows.

Deut. 26:13 Then you shall say before Yahweh your God, ‘I have purged the sacred portion from my house, and I also have given it to the Levite and the sojourner, the orphan and the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not trespassed against or forgotten any of Your commandments.

Look at the words “not trespassed” and “forgotten”. Another purpose of this exercise was to provide a tangible way for the Israelites to prove that they had remembered Yahweh’s commandments and obeyed them.

Deut. 26:14 I have not eaten of it while mourning, nor have I purged any of it while I was unclean, nor have I given any of it to the dead. I have listened to the voice of Yahweh my God; I have done according to all that You have commanded me.

Deut. 26:15 Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the ground which You have given to us, a land flowing with milk and honey, as You swore to our fathers.’

Humans forget. Thus, we forget what Yahweh did for us in the past. That causes us to be pessimistic about the future. Moses implored Israel to remember everything Yahweh did for them in bringing them out of Egypt with power so that they could be confident when they faced obstacles in the Promised Land. We should do the same. Let us not forget all the ways God provides for us, so that we can face the future with confidence.

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When we stopped reading yesterday, Moses was telling Israel how to provide for widows and orphans. If they forgot a sheaf of grain when they brought the harvest in from the field, they were not to go back and get it. Instead, they were to leave it for those in need. Likewise, when they beat the olive tree to make the olives fall to the ground, they were not to go over the limbs to get olives that did not fall. Those were also for the poor and needy.

Deut. 24:21 ¶ “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it after you finish; it shall be for the sojourner, for the orphan, and for the widow.

This was a third way to provide for the unfortunate among them.

Deut. 24:22 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.

Notice the word “remember”. Moses said this multiple times in his discourse. Since the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt and had been mistreated, they were not to mistreat others. Instead, they were to do good to those who were vulnerable.

This is in line with teachings that Jesus gave us. He said, “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you” (Luke 6:31).

This is the opposite of what humans naturally want to do. Humans typically want to get revenge and treat others the way they were treated.

Deut. 25:1 ¶ “If there is a dispute between men and they go to court for judgment, and the judges judge their case, and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked,

Deut. 25:2 then it shall be if the wicked man deserves to be struck, the judge shall then make him lie down and be struck in his presence with the number of stripes according to his guilt.

Deut. 25:3 He may strike him forty times but no more, lest he strike him with many more stripes than these and your brother be dishonored in your eyes.

Look at the word “dishonored”. Moses said more than forty strikes were excessive. That means anything less than forty strikes was not excessive and would not dishonor a man. Moses essentially defined cruel and unusual punishment as anything over 40 strikes.

Modern society is against cruel and unusual punishment. Unfortunately, our society’s definition of cruel and unusual punishment defines almost any punishment as cruel and unusual. Thus, many criminals are never truly punished for their crimes. That means there is no deterrent to committing crime.

Modern society would have a lot less crime if our concept of cruel and unusual punishment were closer to Yahweh’s definition of cruel and unusual punishment.

Deut. 25:4 ¶ “You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing.

There are several passages in the Mosaic Law which express concern for the welfare of animals. The fourth commandment about resting on the Sabbath was given to allow animals to rest as well as people (see Exodus 20:10). When they encountered an animal in distress, they were to help it, even when it belonged to their adversary (see Exodus 23:5).

This verse in chapter 25 simply acknowledges that it would have been cruel to prevent an ox from eating grain when it had grain right in front of it.

Deut. 25:5 ¶ “If brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son, then the wife of the one who died shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her to himself as wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.

To the best of my knowledge, this is the only passage in the Bible where this practice was commanded. Genesis 38 shows the practice existed in the days of the patriarchs. The book of Ruth illustrates what this looked like in real life.

Notice the word “brothers”. Leviticus 18:16 prohibited men from uncovering the nakedness of their brother’s wife, but this was a different situation.

Look at the words “live together”. There is no explanation regarding what was to happen if the brothers did not live together.

Don’t miss the words “no son”. This was only to take place when the deceased did not have a son.

Deut. 25:6 And it will be that the firstborn whom she bears shall assume the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.

Deut. 25:7 But if the man does not desire to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to raise up a name for his brother in Israel; he is not willing to perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.’

Deut. 25:8 Then the elders of his city shall summon him and speak to him. And if he stands and says, ‘I do not desire to take her,’

Deut. 25:9 then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the sight of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face; and she shall answer and say, ‘Thus it is done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’

Deut. 25:10 And in Israel his name shall be called, ‘The house of him whose sandal is removed.’

Deut. 25:11 ¶ “If two men, a man and his brother, are struggling together, and the wife of one comes near to deliver her husband from the hand of the one who is striking him, and she puts out her hand and seizes his genitals,

Deut. 25:12 then you shall cut off her hand; you shall not show pity.

Ponder the words “you shall not show pity”. There were no second chances in this. The first offense carried severe consequences.

Deut. 25:13 ¶ “You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a large and a small.

Deut. 25:14 You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small.

Deut. 25:15 You shall have a full and just weight; you shall have a full and just measure, that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.

Honesty was a strict requirement.

Deut. 25:16 For everyone who does these things, everyone who acts unjustly, is an abomination to Yahweh your God.

Take note of the word “abomination”. Dishonesty was an abomination.

Deut. 25:17 ¶ “Remember what Amalek did to you along the way when you came out from Egypt,

Deut. 25:18 how he met you along the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear, but you were faint and weary; and he did not fear God.

This is recorded in Exodus 17. This was the occasion when Israel prevailed as long as Moses had his hands up. After the battle, Yahweh promised to blot out Amalek (see Exodus 17:14).

Deut. 25:19 Therefore it will be, when Yahweh your God has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies, in the land which Yahweh your God gives you as an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you must not forget.

Around 400 years after Moses said this, Yahweh instructed King Saul to strike Amalek. Yahweh’s instructions referenced what Amalek did to Israel when Israel left Egypt (see 1 Samuel 15).

Modern society is so obsessed with avoiding cruel and unusual punishment that we don’t really punish criminals anymore. That has resulted in an explosion of crime.

Yahweh allowed men to be struck up to 40 times. How much less crime would we have if criminals knew they ran the risk of being struck 40 times?

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The 24th chapter of Deuteronomy is part of a long discourse in which Moses gave instructions to Israel just before they crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land.

Deut. 24:5 ¶ “When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army nor be charged with any duty; he shall be free at home one year and shall give gladness to his wife whom he has taken.

Deut. 24:6 ¶ “No one shall take a handmill or an upper millstone in pledge, for he would be taking a life in pledge.

The handmill and upper millstone were required to make bread, meaning they were required to eat. Anyone who had no collateral other than those items was poor; therefore, it was forbidden to take those items as collateral.

Deut. 24:7 ¶ “If a man is caught kidnapping any of his brothers of the sons of Israel, and he mistreats him or sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall purge the evil from among you.

Notice the words “die”, “purge”, and “evil”. Kidnapping was an offense worthy of death.

Deut. 24:8 ¶ “Take care against an infection of leprosy, to be very careful and to do according to all that the Levitical priests instruct you; as I have commanded them, so you shall be careful to do.

Deut. 24:9 Remember what Yahweh your God did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt.

The 12th chapter of Numbers tells us Miriam and Aaron rebelled against Moses, so Yahweh struck Miriam with leprosy. She was an example to Israel. The Israelites were commanded to remember the consequences of disobeying Yahweh.

Deut. 24:10 ¶ “When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not enter his house to take his deposit.

Deut. 24:11 You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you make the loan shall bring the deposit out to you.

Deut. 24:12 Now if he is an afflicted man, you shall not sleep with his deposit.

Notice the term “afflicted man”. The Mosaic Law was very intentional about preventing Israelites from taking advantage of fellow Israelites, particularly those who were vulnerable to exploitation.

Deut. 24:13 When the sun goes down you shall surely return the deposit to him, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you; and it will be righteousness for you before Yahweh your God.

Deut. 24:14 ¶ “You shall not oppress a hired person who is afflicted and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of your sojourners who is in your land within your gates.

Look at the words “oppress” and “afflicted and needy”. Again, Yahweh protected the vulnerable from oppression.

Deut. 24:15 You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun goes down, for he is afflicted and sets his soul on it, so that he will not cry against you to Yahweh and it become sin in you.

Once again we see the word “afflicted”. Landowners were not permitted to delay payment. They had to pay on the day of service so that the afflicted would have the money he had earned.

Deut. 24:16 ¶ “Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; each shall be put to death for his own sin.

Deut. 24:17 ¶ “You shall not pervert the justice due a sojourner or an orphan, nor take a widow’s garment in pledge.

This verse mentions orphans and widows. Those are classes of people who have always been vulnerable to exploitation.

Deut. 24:18 But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and that Yahweh your God redeemed you from there; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.

Deut. 24:19 ¶ “When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the sojourner, for the orphan, and for the widow, in order that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

Deut. 24:20 When you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs after you finish; it shall be for the sojourner, for the orphan, and for the widow.

Not only were the Israelites prohibited from afflicting vulnerable people, but verses 19-20 commanded them to provide for the poor and needy. The sojourners, orphans, and widows still had to go to the field and collect the food, but at least the task was easier for them.

Just as Moses prohibited the Israelites from exploiting people, particularly those who were poor and helpless, so too the New Testament prohibits us from exploiting people. Jesus criticized the scribes who devoured widows’ houses (see Mark 12:40). James condemned rich landowners who withhold wages (see James 5:4). John doubted the love of anyone who sees a Christian in need and does not offer help (see 1 John 3:17). Paul stated that no one should defraud his brother in sexual matters (see 1 Thessalonians 4:6).

Just as the Israelites needed to make provision for the poor and needy, so too the New Testament commands us to proactively help those among us who need help. James encouraged us to visit widows and orphans in their distress (see James 1:27). Paul commanded Timothy and family members to honor widows and care for them (see 1 Timothy 5:3-4). The apostles asked Paul to remember the poor (see Galatians 2:10). The book of Colossians tells masters to treat their slaves justly and fairly (see Colossians 4:1). The Ephesians were told that thieves must stop stealing and work instead so that they could share with those in need (see Ephesians 4:28).

Our lives as Christians in the 21st century should be marked by defense of the vulnerable and provision for those who need help.

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Yesterday, we stopped reading partway through chapter 23. This chapter is part of a long discourse in which Moses delivered many different commands which were to govern the nation of Israel.

Deut. 23:9 ¶ “When you go out as an army against your enemies, you shall keep yourself from every evil thing.

Deut. 23:10 ¶ “If there is among you any man who is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he must go outside the camp; he may not reenter the camp.

It appears to me that the instruction in verse 10 is an explanation of how to carry out verse 9. That means the instruction in verse 10 applied to the army of Israel when it was out on a campaign, not necessarily to daily life.

Deut. 23:11 But it shall be when evening approaches, he shall bathe himself with water, and at sundown he may reenter the camp.

It appears that verses 12-14 also explain verse 9, meaning the instructions in those verses were specifically about when the army was out on a campaign.

Deut. 23:12 ¶ “You shall also have a place outside the camp and go out there,

Deut. 23:13 and you shall have a spade among your tools, and it shall be when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and shall turn to cover up your excrement.

Deut. 23:14 Since Yahweh your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to give your enemies over to you, therefore your camp must be holy; and He must not see anything indecent among you, or He will turn away from you.

Notice the words “give your enemies over to you”. This reinforces the idea that verses 10-14 applied to the army when it was fighting Israel’s enemies.

The point was the soldiers had to maintain standards of hygiene when they went to fight battles. They could not get sloppy simply because they were away from home. This had both a health benefit and a quality of life benefit.

Deut. 23:15 ¶ “You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you.

Deut. 23:16 He shall live with you in your midst, in the place which he shall choose in one of your gates of the towns where it pleases him; you shall not mistreat him.

Since this passage contains rules that regulated the army when it was out fighting Israel’s enemies, the reference to slaves may be a reference to the slaves of their enemies. In other words, when the army was fighting their enemies, they were not to return the slaves of their enemies to their enemies. Instead, they were to give refuge to those slaves.

Deut. 23:17 ¶ “None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, nor shall any of the sons of Israel be a cult prostitute.

Take note of the prohibition against both male and female prostitution.

Deut. 23:18 You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the wages of a dog into the house of Yahweh your God for any votive offering, for both of these are an abomination to Yahweh your God.

The phrase “wages of a dog” probably refers to the wages of a male prostitute. That fits with verse 17.

The Hebrew word that is translated “dog” is the word “kelev”. That word often refers to the animal we know as dogs, but sometimes it is a derogatory term for men. For example, when David drew near to fight Goliath with only a few stones, Goliath asked, “Am I a dog?” (see 1 Samuel 17:43).

Deut. 23:19 ¶ “You shall not charge interest to your brother: interest on money, food, or anything that may be loaned at interest.

The term “brother” referred to fellow Israelites. The Israelites were prohibited from charging each other interest.

Deut. 23:20 You may charge interest to a foreigner, but to your brother you shall not charge interest, so that Yahweh your God may bless you in all that you send forth your hand to do in the land which you are about to enter to possess.

Verses 19-20 had an impact on medieval church history. The Catholic Church interpreted these verses, as well as Luke 6:34-35, as meaning that Christians could not lend money at interest (see Second Lateran Council, Canon 13). However, Christians could charge interest to Jews and vice versa, so that ended up happening.

Deut. 23:21 ¶ “When you make a vow to Yahweh your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for Yahweh your God will surely require it of you; and it will be a sin in you.

Look at the words “not delay” and “sin”. Anyone who made a vow to Yahweh had to pay the vow.

Deut. 23:22 However, if you refrain from vowing, it will not be a sin in you.

Deut. 23:23 You shall be careful and do what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to Yahweh your God that which you spoke with your mouth.

Moses repeated the importance of doing what you say.

This passage was the basis for some harsh words Jesus delivered to the scribes and Pharisees. By the first century AD, the Jewish leaders had developed a tradition that anyone who swore a vow by the sanctuary or the altar was not obligated to fulfill the vow. Vows were only binding if they were sworn by the gold of the sanctuary or the offering on the altar. Jesus clearly condemned that practice (see Matthew 23:16-22).

Jesus told His disciples to make no oaths (see Matthew 5:34). James also commanded us to make no oaths or vows. Instead, our yes is to be yes and our no is to be no (see James 5:12). In other words, we need to speak plainly and honestly.

Deut. 23:24 ¶ “When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, then you may eat grapes until you are fully satisfied, but you shall not put any in your basket.

Deut. 23:25 ¶ “When you enter your neighbor’s standing grain, then you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not wield a sickle in your neighbor’s standing grain.

Deut. 24:1 ¶ “If a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house,

Deut. 24:2 and she goes out of his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife,

Deut. 24:3 and if the latter husband turns against her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her to be his wife,

Deut. 24:4 then her former husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife, since she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before Yahweh, and you shall not bring sin on the land which Yahweh your God gives you as an inheritance.

Take note of the word “abomination”. Switching sexual partners was an abomination.

Just as sexual purity was important in the Mosaic Law, so too it is important in the church age. Jesus said marrying a divorced woman is adultery (see Matthew 5:32). Paul wrote multiple times against sexual immorality (see 1 Corinthians 6:9, Galatians 5:19, and Ephesians 5:3).

Modern society is known for dishonesty and sexual promiscuity. However, just as ancient Israel was ordered to fulfill all vows and refrain from sexual abomination, so too we Christians have similar commands in the New Testament. We must speak plainly and honestly. We must control our urges and be sexually pure.

Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. If you have already joined my email list, thank you and please tell others about Bible Mountain. If you have not joined my email list yet, please do so now. In order to join, go to BibleMountain.com, click on subscribe, and that will take you to a page where you can sign up. Your email address will not be sold or given away. Once again, thanks for visiting Bible Mountain.

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The 22nd chapter of Deuteronomy is part of a long discourse which Moses delivered to the Israelites when they were on the east bank of the Jordan River, poised to finally enter the Promised Land. In chapter 22, Moses listed a series of commands which Israel was expected to live by once they took possession of their new land.

Deut. 22:22 ¶ “If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; thus you shall purge the evil from Israel.

Notice the words “purge” and “evil”. There was supposed to be zero tolerance for adultery.

When Paul confronted the Corinthians about sexual immorality in their midst, he told them to remove the wicked man from among themselves (see 1 Corinthians 5:13). Christians should also have zero tolerance for adultery.

Deut. 22:23 ¶ “If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her,

Deut. 22:24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them, and they will die; the girl, because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.

Once again we see the command to purge evil.

Deut. 22:25 ¶ “But if in the field the man finds the girl who is engaged, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lies with her shall die.

Deut. 22:26 But you shall do nothing to the girl; there is no sin in the girl worthy of death, for just as a man rises against his neighbor and murders him, so is this case.

Deut. 22:27 When he found her in the field, the engaged girl cried out, but there was no one to save her.

Deut. 22:28 ¶ “If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are found,

Deut. 22:29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days.

Take note of the phrase “he cannot divorce her all his days”. When men followed the right procedures for getting married, divorce was a possibility, even though it was not good. On the other hand, if a man did not follow the correct procedures for getting married, then divorce was permanently not possible.

Deut. 22:30 ¶ “A man shall not take his father’s wife so that he will not uncover his father’s skirt.

This is the sin that prompted Paul to confront the Corinthians about the sexual immorality among them. What was particularly bad in the case of the Corinthians was that not even the Greeks practiced this (see 1 Corinthians 5:1).

Deut. 23:1 ¶ “No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of Yahweh.

Deut. 23:2 No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of Yahweh; even to the tenth generation, none of his seed shall enter the assembly of Yahweh.

This seems unfair. An illegitimate child was barred from the assembly of Yahweh due to choices made by his parents. The child had no say in what happened. It was not the child’s fault that he was illegitimate.

This simply illustrates that life is not fair.

We see this in the New Testament. When Jesus predicted how Peter would die, Peter asked what would happen to John. Jesus said, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” (John 21:22). In other words, Peter had to do what Jesus called him to do, even if it was unfair.

We also see this in life today. Some Christians have constant health issues while others coast through life. There are Christians who constantly struggle financially while others are awash in wealth. Many Christians think it is unfair that women cannot serve as elders. Some claim it is unfair that a divorced person has to remain single and alone the rest of their life.

It is true that many of these things are not fair. However, God did not promise that life would be fair. Instead, God expects each of us to serve Him in whatever lot in life He has given us.

Deut. 23:3 No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of Yahweh; even to the tenth generation, none of their seed shall ever enter the assembly of Yahweh,

Take note of the words “tenth generation”.

Deut. 23:4 because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.

There were long-term consequences as a result of hiring Balaam. The story of Balaam is found in Numbers 22-24.

Deut. 23:5 Nevertheless, Yahweh your God was not willing to listen to Balaam, but Yahweh your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because Yahweh your God loves you.

Deut. 23:6 You shall never seek their peace or their prosperity all your days.

Notice the word “never”. Israel was instructed to never seek peace with Ammon and Moab.

Deut. 23:7 ¶ “You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a sojourner in his land.

Ponder the favorable treatment given to the Egyptians. The Egyptians enslaved Israel and mistreated them; however, the long-term consequences of that were less than the long-term consequences for Moab for hiring Balaam. That seems unfair. It is unfair. However, Yahweh is sovereign and can do anything He wants to do.

Deut. 23:8 The sons of the third generation who are born to them may enter the assembly of Yahweh.

Deut. 23:9 ¶ “When you go out as an army against your enemies, you shall keep yourself from every evil thing.

People want life to be fair. However, we saw in today’s Scripture reading that Yahweh’s rules are not always fair. We also see this in the New Testament. God’s rules and choices are not always fair.

As we go through life, we will always be able to point out something about our lives that puts us at a disadvantage. Instead of feeling and acting like victims, we should look at it as an opportunity to demonstrate our love for God.

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At the end of yesterday’s passage, we read instructions regarding the rights of the first-born, dealing with rebellious sons, and burying corpses on the day of execution. Today’s passage is a continuation of the list of rules that were to govern Israelite society.

Deut. 22:1 ¶ “You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep straying away and ignore them; you shall certainly bring them back to your brother.

Look at the words “not” and “ignore”. Ignoring other people’s problems was prohibited. They were to help one another without being asked.

Deut. 22:2 And if your brother is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall be with you until your brother searches for it; then you shall give it back to him.

Notice the phrase “if you do not know him”. Finding lost property did not mean they could keep the property. Instead, they were to care for the lost property until the owner could be found.

Deut. 22:3 Thus you shall do with his donkey, and you shall do likewise with his garment, and you shall do likewise with anything lost by your brother, which he has lost and you have found. You are not allowed to ignore them.

Once again we see the words “not” and “ignore”.

Deut. 22:4 You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down on the way and ignore them; you shall certainly help him to raise them up.

This is the third time we see the words “not” and “ignore”.

Yahweh had commanded the Israelites to love their neighbors as themselves (see Leviticus 19:18). These commands in chapter 22 were concrete examples of how to do that. When Jesus was asked “Who is my neighbor?” He told the parable of the Good Samaritan. In that parable, the priest and Levite did not obey Deuteronomy 22:1-4. They ignored a man who needed help.

As we go through life, we are busy and have many things we need to attend to. It is tempting to ignore other people when they have problems or need help. However, the New Testament has commands that are very similar to Deuteronomy 22:1-4. Jesus told us to treat others the way we want them to treat us (see Luke 6:31). Paul wrote that those of us who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak (see Romans 15:1). He also commanded us to look out for the interests of others (see Philippians 2:4).

Deut. 22:5 ¶ “A woman shall not wear man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh your God.

Take note of the word “abomination”. It was an abomination to wear the clothing of the opposite sex.

The New Testament does not have a similar rule concerning how we dress. However, the Bible is consistently clear that men and women are different. They have different roles in the family and church (see 1 Corinthians 11:3 and 1 Timothy 2:12). The New Testament does encourage men to have short hair and women to have long hair (see 1 Corinthians 11:14-15).

Deut. 22:6 ¶ “If you happen to come upon a bird’s nest along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young;

Deut. 22:7 you shall certainly let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, in order that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days.

Deut. 22:8 ¶ “When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you will not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone falls from it.

This is in line with the command to love your neighbor. When they built houses, they had to build them so that they were not dangerous to other people.

Deut. 22:9 ¶ “You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest all the produce of the seed which you have sown and the increase of the vineyard become defiled.

Deut. 22:10 ¶ “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

Deut. 22:11 ¶ “You shall not wear a material mixed of wool and flax together.

Verses 9-11 seem arbitrary and unnecessary. Unlike murder, lying, and stealing, there isn’t anything inherently wrong with mixing an ox and a donkey, or wool with flax.

On the other hand, in the Garden of Eden, there was nothing inherently wrong with eating from the tree in the middle of the garden. And yet, when Adam and Eve ate from that tree, there were severe long-term consequences. It was wrong to eat from that tree because Yahweh told Adam and Eve not to eat from that tree. The same is true of seeds, animals, and fabric. It was wrong for Israel to mix them simply because Yahweh said it was wrong.

The purpose of the rule against eating from the tree in the middle of the garden was to give Adam and Eve an opportunity to obey God, which is an opportunity to love God. The purpose of telling Israel not to mix seeds, animals, and fabric was to give them an opportunity to love God.

In the New Testament, there are also rules which seem arbitrary. Many people think there is nothing inherently wrong with women speaking in church, men wearing hats while praying, or same-sex attracted people joining together. However, all those things are wrong simply because God said they are wrong.

Deut. 22:12 ¶ “You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself.

Deut. 22:13 ¶ “If any man takes a wife and goes in to her and then turns against her,

Deut. 22:14 and charges her with shameful deeds and brings forth against her a bad name and says, ‘I took this woman, but when I came near her, I did not find her a virgin,’

Deut. 22:15 then the girl’s father and her mother shall take and bring out the evidence of the girl’s virginity to the elders of the city at the gate.

Deut. 22:16 Then the girl’s father shall say to the elders, ‘I gave my daughter to this man as a wife, but he turned against her;

Deut. 22:17 and behold, he has charged her with shameful deeds, saying, “I did not find your daughter a virgin.” But this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city.

Deut. 22:18 So the elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him,

Deut. 22:19 and they shall fine him one hundred shekels of silver and give it to the girl’s father because he brought forth a bad name against a virgin of Israel. And she shall be his wife; he cannot divorce her all his days.

Notice the words “brought forth a bad name”. It was forbidden to make false accusations.

Deut. 22:20 ¶ “But if this charge is true, that the girl was not found a virgin,

Deut. 22:21 then they shall bring out the girl to the doorway of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her, and she will die because she has committed a disgraceful act in Israel by playing the harlot in her father’s house; thus you shall purge the evil from among you.

As we go through life, it is tempting to focus on our own problems and let everyone else deal with their problems. The Israelites would have been tempted to do the same, but they were commanded to care for their neighbors’ animals and property when there was a need for care. That illustrates how we should go about obeying the commands in the New Testament to love one another, bear one another’s burdens, and do unto others as we want them to do to us.

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When we stopped reading yesterday, Moses was giving Israel instructions on what they were to do in case they found a slain man in the open country and it was unknown who killed the man. The elders of the nearest town were to take a young heifer to a valley with running water and break the heifer’s neck.

Deut. 21:6 And all the elders of that city who are nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;

Deut. 21:7 and they shall answer and say, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it.

Deut. 21:8 Atone for Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, O Yahweh, and do not place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.’ And the bloodguiltiness shall be atoned for them.

Look at the words “atone” and “bloodguiltiness”. Murder is a serious issue. Even when it was not known who murdered a man, it was still necessary to atone for the murder.

Deut. 21:9 So you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of Yahweh.

Notice the words “purge” and “guilt”. This emphasizes the seriousness of murder.

As you read the following verses, remember that in Deuteronomy 20:14-16 Moses had instructed Israel that only in cities far away from the Promised Land were they allowed to let the women and children live. Regarding the Canaanite cities, anything that breathed was to be put to death. This means the following verses only apply to cities far away from the Promised Land.

Deut. 21:10 ¶ “If you go out to battle against your enemies, and Yahweh your God gives them over into your hands and you take them away captive,

Deut. 21:11 and see among the captives a beautiful woman and set your affection on her and would take her as a wife for yourself,

Deut. 21:12 then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails.

Deut. 21:13 She shall also remove the clothes of her captivity and shall remain in your house and weep for her father and mother a full month; and after that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife.

Ponder the compassion inherent in this verse. A captured woman was to be allowed time to mourn her parents. There were limits on the extent to which the conquering Israelites could act as conquerors.

Deut. 21:14 And it will be that, if you do not desire her, then you shall let her go wherever she wishes; but you shall certainly not sell her for money; you shall not mistreat her because you have humbled her.

Deut. 21:15 ¶ “If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him sons, if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved,

Take note of the phrase “If a man has two wives”. The ideal we see in Genesis 2:24 is monogamy, one man and one woman joining together. Adam, Noah, Shem, Ham, Japheth, Isaac, Joseph, and Job appear to have been monogamous.

Having said that, as we see in this verse, the Mosaic Law made provisions for the reality that some men had two wives. When a man died childless, his brother was to marry his widow and father children for his dead brother. That practice often required polygamy to take place.

The New Testament does not make such an allowance for Christians. When Jesus was asked about divorce, He quoted Genesis 2:24 and declared that divorce and remarriage constitute adultery. If it is adultery to get divorced and remarried, then it is certainly adultery to marry a second wife while married to the first wife.

Furthermore, the qualifications for elder and deacon clearly state that a man must be monogamous in order to be an elder or deacon (see 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1).

Deut. 21:16 then it shall be in the day he wills what he has to his sons, he cannot make the son of the loved the firstborn before the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn.

Deut. 21:17 But he shall recognize the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the first of his vigor; the legal judgment for the firstborn belongs to him.

Notice the word “legal”. In ancient Israel, the first-born had a legal right to inherit more than his siblings. That is not something we find in the New Testament. Thus, today it is common for a parent to bequeath their possessions to their children equally.

Deut. 21:18 ¶ “If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they discipline him, he will not even listen to them,

Deut. 21:19 then his father and mother shall seize him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown.

Deut. 21:20 Then they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not listen to our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’

Ponder the words used to describe problem sons: stubborn, rebellious, will not listen, glutton, and drunkard. Those are common problems in our society today.

Deut. 21:21 Then all the men of his city shall stone him, and he will die; so you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear.

Pay attention to the words “stone” and “purge the evil”. Rebelliousness was worthy of death. It was called evil that needed to be purged.

Take note also of the words “hear” and “fear”. Part of the purpose of stoning rebellious sons was to create fear and prevent others from becoming rebellious.

The New Testament does not require us to stone rebellious sons, but it does teach the importance of obeying parents. In the first chapter of Romans, Paul described what happens in a society which suppresses the truth about God. Paul included “disobedient to parents” in a long list of sins which come about when people do not acknowledge God. Unfortunately, it is common today for children to disobey and disrespect their parents. That is a reflection of the extent to which our society has abandoned God.

Deut. 21:22 ¶ “And if a man has committed a sin, the judgment of which is death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,

Deut. 21:23 his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (because cursed of God is he who is hanged), so that you do not make unclean your land which Yahweh your God gives you as an inheritance.

This verse influenced the crucifixion of Jesus. After Jesus and the two thieves were crucified, the Jews asked Pilate to break the legs of the crucified men so that they would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (see John 19:31).

Also, Paul quoted this verse to tell us that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse Himself. He was cursed because anyone who is hanged is cursed of God (see Galatians 3:13).

Our society does not value well-behaved children. In fact, in many ways our society encourages children to rebel against their parents. That is a sin, just as it was in the Old Testament. The New Testament commands children to obey their parents (see Ephesians 6:1-3). Furthermore, disobedient children are a sign that a society has turned away from God (see Romans 1:30). Churches and Christians must teach and encourage children to obey their parents.

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In the opening verses of Deuteronomy 20, Israel was commanded not to be afraid when they encountered enemies who were more powerful and more numerous. Furthermore, when drawing near to battle, the officers were to dismiss those who had new houses, new vineyards, new wives, or were afraid.

Deut. 20:10 ¶ “If you come near a city to fight against it, you shall call for terms of peace.

Deut. 20:11 Now it will be that if it agrees to make peace with you and opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall become your forced labor and shall serve you.

Notice that if a city surrendered, then the people within it were to be allowed to live.

Deut. 20:12 However, if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it.

Deut. 20:13 And Yahweh your God shall give it into your hand, and you shall strike all the males in it with the edge of the sword.

Also notice that if a city did not surrender, then all the male inhabitants were to be killed.

If Israel had consistently done this, then they would have earned a reputation for being merciful to those who surrendered and harsh with those who did not surrender. That would have motivated their enemies to surrender so that they could live.

Deut. 20:14 Only the women and the little ones and the animals and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself; and you shall consume the spoil of your enemies which Yahweh your God has given you.

Deut. 20:15 Thus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations nearby.

Don’t miss the words “that are very far from you”. The rules in verses 10-14 only applied to cities that were outside the land given to Israel.

Deut. 20:16 Only in the cities of these peoples that Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes.

Israel was explicitly told to have no mercy on the Canaanites themselves. Every Canaanite was to be killed.

Deut. 20:17 But you shall devote them to destruction, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as Yahweh your God has commanded you,

Deut. 20:18 so that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against Yahweh your God.

Look at the words “so that”. Verse 18 explains that Israel was supposed to kill every Canaanite so that the Canaanites would not lead Israel astray. If the Israelites allowed the Canaanites to live, then the Israelites would have idolatry in their midst, become comfortable with idolatry, and begin to engage in idolatry.

We see a similar concern in the New Testament. Paul wrote that a little leaven leavens the whole lump (see 1 Corinthians 5:6 and Galatians 5:9). Paul commanded the Corinthians to remove the wicked man from among themselves so that the wicked man did not induce anyone else into sin (see 1 Corinthians 5:13).

Deut. 20:19 ¶ “If you besiege a city for many days, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down. For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you?

Take note of the prohibition against destroying all the trees. There were two reasons for this. First, if some of the trees were fruit trees, then the trees were able to provide food for Israel during and after the siege. Second, the trees were not soldiers, so there was no need to destroy all the trees.

Deut. 20:20 Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you shall destroy and cut down, that you may build siegeworks against the city that is making war with you until it falls.

Look at the words “not trees for food” and “siegeworks”.

Ponder the big picture that is taught in this verse. When Israel besieged a city, the temptation would have been to cut down the trees which were nearest the city so that it was as easy as possible to build the siegeworks. However, that may have involved cutting down fruit trees. Cutting down fruit trees was short-sighted. Yes, the fruit trees may have been the most convenient trees to cut down in order to build siege works, but the fruit trees could also provide food for Israel. Cutting down fruit trees for a short-term benefit caused a long-term problem in feeding themselves.

Deut. 21:1 ¶ “If a slain person is found fallen in the open country in the land which Yahweh your God gives you to possess, and it is not known who has struck him,

Look at the word “slain”. That implies this person was murdered. Look at the words “it is not known”. Chapter 21 told the Israelites what to do when a man was killed and it was not known who killed him.

Deut. 21:2 then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the slain one.

Deut. 21:3 And it shall be that the city which is nearest to the slain man, that is, the elders of that city, shall take a heifer of the herd, which has not been worked and which has not pulled in a yoke;

Deut. 21:4 and the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which has not been plowed or sown, and they shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley.

Deut. 21:5 Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for Yahweh your God has chosen them to minister for Him and to bless in the name of Yahweh; and every dispute and every assault shall be settled by them.

Deut. 21:6 And all the elders of that city who are nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;

Deut. 21:7 and they shall answer and say, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it.

Murder was such a serious issue that, even when it was not known who murdered a man, it was still necessary to take action regarding the murder.

Humans have a tendency to get so fixated on immediate problems and short-term solutions that we lose sight of the long-term ramifications of what we do. Parents are tempted to give in to temper tantrums and whining because they want to make the noise go away. However, that teaches children that they can always get their way by doing something irritating. Christian parents skip church on Sunday because they are tired and want to sleep in and get some rest, but that teaches their children that church is optional and not a high priority.

Just as Israel was commanded to think about the long-term consequences of cutting down trees, so too we should think about the long-term implications of our decisions. Foolish people do what feels good in the moment. Wise people make decisions that are good for the future.

Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. If you have already joined my email list, thank you and please tell others about Bible Mountain. If you have not joined my email list yet, please do so now. In order to join, go to BibleMountain.com, click on subscribe, and that will take you to a page where you can sign up. Your email address will not be sold or given away. Once again, thanks for visiting Bible Mountain.

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The beginning of chapter 19 was a command to Israel to set aside three cities of refuge so that anyone who accidentally killed a man could flee there and be protected from the avenger of blood. That was a way to make sure innocent blood was not shed.

Deut. 19:11 ¶ “But if there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and rises up against him and strikes down his life so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities,

The words “one of these cities” refer to the cities of refuge.

Deut. 19:12 then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and give him over into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

Look at the word “die”. The cities of refuge could not be used to escape justice. When a man deliberately murdered another man, he was to be put to death. He could not escape justice by going to a city of refuge.

Deut. 19:13 You shall not pity him, but you shall purge the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with you.

Notice the words “You shall not pity”. It was forbidden to have pity on murderers.

Unfortunately, this is something very common today. Murderers are pitied because thry had bad parents, had a rough life, or were on medications that messed up their mind. After Noah came off the ark, God said, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed” (Genesis 9:6). That command has never been rescinded. We should not have pity on those who intentionally murder another human being.

Deut. 19:14 ¶ “You shall not move your neighbor’s boundary mark, which the ancestors have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that Yahweh your God gives you to possess.

Deut. 19:15 ¶ “A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; at the mouth of two or three witnesses a matter shall be established.

Deut. 19:16 If a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing,

Take note of the word “malicious”. This acknowledges the fact that sometimes people will make false accusations.

In recent decades there has been a push to “believe all women” when they accuse men of sexual misbehavior. However, sometimes women make false accusations. Accusations should not automatically be believed. The accuser needs to have corroborating evidence.

Deut. 19:17 then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before Yahweh, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days.

Deut. 19:18 And the judges shall inquire thoroughly, and behold, if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely,

Deut. 19:19 then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.

Notice the word “evil”. False accusations were considered evil. Anyone who brought false accusations was to be purged.

Deut. 19:20 And the rest will hear and be afraid and will never again do such an evil thing among you.

Don’t miss the logic in this verse. Look at the words “afraid” and “never again”. The reason for punishing false accusers was to create fear so that no one else would make false accusations.

We see this concept in the New Testament. Paul wrote that if anyone does wrong, he should be afraid because the government does not bear the sword in vain (see Romans 13:4). In other words, the ability of the government to execute criminals should make people afraid to commit crime.

Also, Paul told Timothy to rebuke sinning elders in public so that everyone else will be afraid (see 1 Timothy 5:20). Again, the concept is to use public rebuke as a tool to create fear which will dissuade others from sinning.

This is contrary to the modern mindset. The prevailing attitude today is to avoid creating fear.

Deut. 19:21 Thus your eye shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Notice the prohibition on pity. There is a time and place to pity people. However, pitying criminals was not permitted in Israel. Today, churches should not pity sinners.

Deut. 20:1 ¶ “If you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.

When Moses sent twelve spies to spy out the land of Canaan, they saw that the Canaanites were very powerful (see Numbers 13). That caused Israel to shrink away from conquering the land. That power did not dissipate during the 40 years Israel wandered in the wilderness; therefore, Yahweh reminded Israel that when they saw opponents who were more powerful, they were not to be afraid because they had Yahweh fighting for them.

Furthermore, a couple days ago we read a verse that prohibited the future kings of Israel from multiplying horses to themselves (see Deuteronomy 17:16). That limited their ability to build powerful armies. That meant Israel would have a military disadvantage. Once again, Israel was not to be afraid in those situations because Yahweh intended to fight for them.

Deut. 20:2 Now it will be, when you are drawing near to the battle, the priest shall approach and speak to the people.

Deut. 20:3 And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, you are drawing near to the battle against your enemies today. Do not let your heart be faint. Do not be afraid, nor be alarmed, nor be in dread before them,

Deut. 20:4 for Yahweh your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’

Deut. 20:5 The officers also shall speak to the people, saying, ‘Who is the man that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it.

Deut. 20:6 Who is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not begun to use its fruit? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man begin to use its fruit.

Deut. 20:7 And who is the man that is engaged to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man marry her.’

Deut. 20:8 Then the officers shall speak further to the people and say, ‘Who is the man that is afraid and whose heart is faint? Let him go and return to his house, so that he might not make his brothers’ hearts melt like his heart.’

The effect of verses 5-8 would have been to weaken the army of Israel. They would have had fewer men to go fight. However, that was the point. Israel had Yahweh. They did not need the biggest army. Instead of relying on their army, Yahweh wanted Israel to rely on Him.

Deut. 20:9 Now it will be that when the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people.

Modern criminal justice is focused on mercy and tolerance. Thus, we have a crime problem today because criminals are not afraid to commit crime. However, the Bible teaches a different mindset. Old Testament Israel was commanded to create fear so that people would be afraid to do evil. The New Testament endorses the same concept, both in civil affairs and in church affairs. One of the tools that should be used in modern society to deter crime is the fear of being punished for committing a crime.

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In today’s Scripture reading, we will see some instructions Israel was given so that they didn’t execute innocent men. They had to execute murderers. However, they couldn’t execute everyone accused of murder to make sure all murderers were executed. Instead, they had to make sure those who accidentally killed people were not wrongly put to death. They had to find the right balance between justice and mercy. This is a balance we should seek today.

When we stopped reading yesterday, Moses was telling Israel not to engage in occultism. Divination, soothsaying, omens, sorcery, mediums, spiritists, and inquiring of the dead were prohibited. Moses drew a contrast. The Canaanites listened to diviners, but Israel was supposed to listen to Yahweh.

Deut. 18:15 ¶ “Yahweh your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers; you shall listen to him.

The pronoun “me” refers to Moses.

Take note of the command “you shall listen to him.” At some point in the future, there would be a prophet like Moses, and the Israelites were commanded to listen to him.

The word “prophet” is singular. There were many prophets throughout the Old Testament time period. This verse did not refer to all of them. It only referred to one prophet who would be like Moses.

In the first century AD, the Jews were expecting the Prophet. When John the Baptist started baptizing, the priests and Levites asked him if he was the Prophet. John said no (see John 1:21). After Jesus fed 5,000 men with five loaves and two fish, the people proclaimed that Jesus was the Prophet, showing that they were looking for the Prophet (see John 6:14).

The Bible never explicitly says Jesus was the Prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy. However, Jesus said Moses wrote about him, perhaps a reference to Deuteronomy 18:15 (see John 5:46). At the Transfiguration, the Father said “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5). The command to listen parallels Deuteronomy 18:15. When Peter preached about Jesus in Solomon’s Portico, he quoted Deuteronomy 18:15 (see Acts 3:22).

Moses delivered the Mosaic Law. Likewise, Jesus came and delivered the New Testament law.

Deut. 18:16 This is according to all that you asked of Yahweh your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of Yahweh my God; let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.’

Deut. 18:17 And Yahweh said to me, ‘They have spoken well.

Deut. 18:18 I will raise up a prophet from among their brothers like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.

Deut. 18:19 And it will be that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.

Deut. 18:20 But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’

Deut. 18:21 Now you may say in your heart, ‘How will we know the word which Yahweh has not spoken?’

This is an excellent question. Any human can claim to be a prophet. How does any other human know whether the supposed prophet is telling the truth and is legitimately proclaiming a message from God?

Deut. 18:22 When a prophet speaks in the name of Yahweh, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

Prophets often predicted the future. If a man claimed to be a prophet of Yahweh, but could not accurately predict the future, then he was not a true prophet.

Deut. 19:1 ¶ “When Yahweh your God cuts off the nations, whose land Yahweh your God gives you, and you dispossess them and settle in their cities and in their houses,

Deut. 19:2 you shall set apart three cities for yourself in the midst of your land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess.

Note that the Israelites were instructed to set apart three cities.

Deut. 19:3 You shall prepare the roads for yourself, and divide into three parts the territory of your land which Yahweh your God will give you to inherit, so that any manslayer may flee there.

Look at the word “manslayer”. The three cities were refuge cities for manslayers.

Shortly after Yahweh gave Moses the Ten Commandments, Yahweh told Moses that anyone who commits murder should be put to death. However, if a man accidentally killed another man, then he should flee for safety to a city of refuge which would be appointed once Israel entered the Promised Land (see Exodus 21:12-13).

After the Israelites conquered land on the east bank of the Jordan River and determined that some of the Israelites would settle on that side of the Jordan, Moses appointed three cities east of the Jordan River to be cities of refuge (see Deuteronomy 4:41-42).

In the 19th chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses reminded Israel to appoint three more cities of refuge on the west side of the Jordan River after they conquered the Promised Land. The 20th chapter of Joshua lists the cities that were appointed.

Deut. 19:4 ¶ “Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: when he strikes down his friend without premeditation, not hating him previously—

Deut. 19:5 as when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live;

Deut. 19:6 lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer when his heart is angry, and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike down his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously.

Deut. 19:7 Therefore, I am commanding you, saying, ‘You shall set apart three cities for yourself.’

Deut. 19:8 ¶ “Now if Yahweh your God enlarges your territory, just as He has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which He promised to give to your fathers—

Deut. 19:9 if you be careful to do all this commandment which I am commanding you today, to love Yahweh your God and to walk in His ways all your days—then you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three.

Deut. 19:10 So innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which Yahweh your God gives you as an inheritance, and bloodguiltiness be on you.

Look at the word “innocent”. It was necessary to put murderers to death. However, it was also necessary to take precautions against putting innocent people to death.

Note the word “bloodguiltiness”. Executing people who accidentally killed someone was as bad as deliberately committing murder.

Humans have a tendency to go to extremes. Some societies go to the extreme of executing too many people. Other societies go to the extreme of abandoning the death penalty. Yahweh expected Israel to find the correct balance of executing murderers without executing innocent men.

Yahweh told Noah that “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed” (Genesis 9:6). That has never been rescinded. It applies today. However, we should not execute everyone who is accused of murder. We should only execute those who deliberately commit murder. We need to find balance between justice and mercy.

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Today’s scripture reading contains a warning to the kings of Israel not to lift their hearts above their brothers. This is a warning that political and religious leaders in the 21st century should heed.

At the end of yesterday’s passage, Moses acknowledged that at some point in the future, Israel would want to appoint a king over them. Moses instructed the future kings of Israel that they were not allowed to multiply horses, wives, or wealth. The prohibition against multiple wives was because multiple wives would turn their hearts away.

Deut. 17:18 ¶ “Now it will be when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.

Take note of the word “write”. The verses at the end of yesterday’s reading were things to avoid. This verse is something positive to do. The king was to write a copy of the law. Writing the law is better than reading the law. Writing the words of the law would imprint the law in the mind of the king in a way that hearing it or reading it could not do.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no indication that any king of Israel ever actually did this.

Deut. 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear Yahweh his God, to carefully observe all the words of this law and these statutes,

Notice the words “read it all the days of his life”. After writing a copy of it, he was to read the law every day so that he did not forget it.

Don’t miss the word “fear”. The purpose of reading the law was to learn to fear Yahweh.

The Bible tells us the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). The fear of Yahweh causes non-Christians to be afraid of going to hell. The fear of Yahweh causes Christians to be afraid of disobeying Yahweh.

Deut. 17:20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his sons in the midst of Israel.

Pay attention to the words “not be lifted up above his brothers”. Any king is just a man. He should always remember that he is not special.

The kings of Israel were prohibited from multiplying horses, wives, and wealth. Wealth, wives, and horses would make a king feel special, entitled, and above everyone else; thus they were forbidden from accumulating those things.

Every political and religious leader today should also guard against lifting their hearts above everyone else. Many career political leaders create rules that apply to us, but not them. They corruptly trade on insider knowledge to make themselves wealthy. They create regulations that stifle the lives of the population while they live in luxury.

We have this problem in modern Christianity. There are celebrity pastors who use their congregations to accumulate outlandish wealth. Some pastors commit adultery multiple times with multiple women. When they are caught, there are few consequences.

A lot of this corruption is taking place because political and religious leaders have lifted their hearts above everyone else. They think they are special and entitled.

Deut. 18:1 ¶ “The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat of the offerings to Yahweh by fire and of His inheritance.

Deut. 18:2 And they shall have no inheritance among their brothers; Yahweh is their inheritance, as He promised them.

Deut. 18:3 ¶ “Now this shall be the legal judgment for the priests taken from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, either an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach.

Deut. 18:4 You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine and your oil and the first shearing of your sheep.

Deut. 18:5 For Yahweh your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes, to stand to minister in the name of Yahweh all the days.

Deut. 18:6 ¶ “Now if a Levite comes from any of your gates of the towns throughout Israel where he sojourns and comes whenever he desires to the place which Yahweh chooses,

Deut. 18:7 then he shall minister in the name of Yahweh his God like all his brothers the Levites who stand there before Yahweh.

Deut. 18:8 They shall eat equal portions, except what they receive from the sale of their fathers’ estates.

Deut. 18:9 ¶ “When you enter the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations.

Notice the word “abominations”. Moses warned Israel that there were abominations in the Promised Land.

Deut. 18:10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices soothsaying or one who interprets omens or a sorcerer,

Deut. 18:11 or one who is an enchanter or a medium or a spiritist or one who inquires of the dead.

Child sacrifice and all forms of occultism were prohibited.

We see this in the New Testament. Paul listed sorcery as a deed of the flesh (see Galatians 5:20). Revelation tells us that sorcerers will go into the lake of fire (see Revelation 21:8).

Deut. 18:12 For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh; and because of these abominations Yahweh your God will dispossess them from before you.

Once again we see the word “abomination”. Child sacrifice and occultism are abominations.

Unfortunately, many unborn children are put to death in modern society. Occultism is gaining acceptance in the modern world. Christians must resist and teach against both.

Deut. 18:13 You shall be blameless before Yahweh your God.

Deut. 18:14 For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice soothsaying and to diviners, but as for you, Yahweh your God has not allowed you to do so.

Just as the Israelites were to listen to Yahweh, not soothsayers, so too we Christians should consult the Bible, not occultism.

Just as the kings of Israel were warned against lifting their hearts above their brothers, so too modern leaders should resist that urge. Political and religious leaders are not special and entitled. They are human, just like everyone else. They should behave as if they are just like everyone else. They should not abuse their position to enrich themselves and give themselves privileges that the common people do not have.

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Chapter 17 is part of a long dialogue which Moses delivered to the Israelites on the east bank of the Jordan River, preparing them to cross the river into the Promised Land. Yesterday, we finished reading chapter 16 in which Moses reviewed the feasts which Israel was required to celebrate every year. At the end of the chapter, Moses gave an order to appoint judges in every town and emphasized the necessity for the judges to be fair and impartial.

Deut. 17:1 ¶ “You shall not sacrifice to Yahweh your God an ox or a sheep which has a defect or any blemish, for that is an abominable thing to Yahweh your God.

Take note of the word “abominable”. Sacrificing an animal with a defect was an abomination. That is strong language. This should prompt us to ask if it is an abomination when we don’t give God our best.

Deut. 17:2 ¶ “If there is found in your midst, in any of your gates of the towns which Yahweh your God is giving you, a man or a woman who does what is evil in the sight of Yahweh your God, by trespassing against His covenant,

Deut. 17:3 and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the heavenly host, which I have not commanded,

Deut. 17:4 and if it is told to you and you have heard of it, then you shall inquire thoroughly. Behold, if it is true and the matter is confirmed that this abomination has been done in Israel,

Once again we see the word “abomination”. Idolatry was an abomination.

Deut. 17:5 then you shall bring out that man or that woman who has done this evil deed to your gates, that is, the man or the woman, and you shall stone them, and they will die.

Look at the word “evil”. Worshipping anything other than Yahweh was evil.

Don’t miss the words “stone” and “die”. Idolaters were to be put to death.

Deut. 17:6 On the mouth of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the mouth of one witness.

Take note that one witness was not enough.

Deut. 17:7 The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

Don’t miss the fact that the witnesses had to cast the first stone. The Mosaic Law was strict. The death penalty was required for many sins. At the same time, it had huge safeguards against putting an innocent person to death. There had to be more than one witness, and the witnesses had to be so certain about what they saw that they were willing to cast the first stone.

Notice the phrase “you shall purge the evil from your midst.” The success of their justice system required the populace to be willing to purge evil. If the witnesses had too much mercy and were not willing to cast the first stone even though they clearly saw someone commit a sin, then the evil would not be purged.

One of the biggest reasons we have a problem with crime today is that too many people in our society are not willing to deal with crime. Our society has been feminized, and we want to treat criminals with kid gloves rather than punish them for their crimes and prevent them from committing future crimes.

Deut. 17:8 ¶ “If any case is too difficult for you to judge, between one kind of homicide or another, between one kind of lawsuit or another, and between one kind of assault or another, being cases of dispute in your gates, then you shall arise and go up to the place which Yahweh your God chooses.

Deut. 17:9 So you shall come to the Levitical priest or the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall inquire of them, and they will declare to you the judgment in the case.

Deut. 17:10 And you shall do according to the terms of the judgment which they declare to you from that place which Yahweh chooses; and you shall be careful to do according to all that they teach you.

Look at the word “careful”. When a case was taken to the priest or the judge, their determination was final. Their judgment had to be carried out.

Deut. 17:11 According to the terms of the law which they teach you, and according to the judgment which they tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the word which they declare to you, to the right or the left.

Deut. 17:12 And the man who acts presumptuously by not listening to the priest who stands there to minister to Yahweh your God, or to the judge, that man shall die; thus you shall purge the evil from Israel.

The “man who acts presumptuously” refers to any man who did not obey the ruling of the priest/judge. This did not merely refer to criminals who did not obey the priest/judge. Any witness or city leader who did not carry out the judgment ordered by the priest/judge was to be put to death.

Deut. 17:13 Then all the people will hear and be afraid and will not act presumptuously again.

The purpose of putting to death anyone who acted presumptuously was to create fear so that no one else would act presumptuously.

This is another reason we have a crime problem today. Our justice system does not create fear in our society. Criminals are not afraid to commit crime because they know the justice system will be lenient.

Deut. 17:14 ¶ “When you enter the land which Yahweh your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,’

Deut. 17:15 you shall surely set a king over you whom Yahweh your God chooses, one from among your brothers you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your brother.

Deut. 17:16 Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses. Yahweh has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’

This is an interesting prohibition. Horses were used by the military (see Exodus 14:9 and 2 Samuel 8:4). The King of Israel was prohibited from multiplying horses, which limited his ability to form a strong army. I assume the point was that the King of Israel was supposed to rely on God for military victory, not his collection of horses.

There is no indication that King Saul or King David multiplied horses, but Solomon did. He had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots (see 1 Kings 4:26). Furthermore, Solomon imported his horses from Egypt, which was prohibited (see 1 Kings 10:28).

Deut. 17:17 And he shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.

We generally don’t think of King David as one who multiplied wives to himself, but he had multiple wives. King Solomon was certainly guilty of multiplying wives. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines (see 1 Kings 11:3).

Notice the warning that multiple wives would turn his heart away. King David was led astray by his desire to have Bathsheba, a woman who did not belong to him (see 2 Samuel 11). King Solomon’s heart was turned away from God by his foreign wives (see 1 Kings 11:4).

King Solomon was also exceedingly rich.

Modern society has a very different attitude toward crime than the attitude toward idolatry that was prescribed for Israel. The rules that Israel had to follow were designed to create fear in the population, fear that would dissuade people from doing wrong. One of the solutions to the crime problem in our society is to create fear so that criminals are afraid to commit crime.

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When we stopped reading yesterday, Moses was reviewing the rules regarding the Passover. Passover was to be celebrated in the month of Abib because that is the month in which Yahweh brought Israel out of Egypt.

Deut. 16:5 You are not allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of your gates of the towns which Yahweh your God is giving you;

Deut. 16:6 but at the place where Yahweh your God chooses for His name to dwell, there you shall sacrifice the Passover in the evening at sunset, at the appointed time that you came out of Egypt.

Notice the words “at sunset”. Not only was the Passover to be celebrated in the same month in which they came out of Egypt, but it was also to be celebrated at a particular time of day.

Deut. 16:7 And you shall cook and eat it in the place which Yahweh your God chooses. In the morning you are to return to your tents.

Deut. 16:8 Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to Yahweh your God; you shall do no work on it.

Take note of the words “unleavened bread”. When Israel left Egypt, they did so quickly; thus, their bread did not have time to rise (see Exodus 12:39). Part of Passover was eating unleavened bread to commemorate the speed and suddenness of their exodus from Egypt.

Deut. 16:9 ¶ “You shall count seven weeks for yourself; you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain.

Look at the word “sickle”. A sickle is a tool used to cut down grain stalks. As soon as Israel began harvesting their grain, they were to start counting the seven weeks. In Israel, harvest begins in April.

Deut. 16:10 Then you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to Yahweh your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give just as Yahweh your God blesses you;

Deut. 16:11 and you shall be glad before Yahweh your God, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female slaves and the Levite who is within your gates and the sojourner and the orphan and the widow who are in your midst, in the place where Yahweh your God chooses for His name to dwell.

Deut. 16:12 And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.

Take note of the word “remember”. There was a strong emphasis that the Israelites were to remember that they were slaves in Egypt, and Yahweh delivered them out of slavery.

Deut. 16:13 ¶ “You shall celebrate the Feast of Booths seven days after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vat;

Look at the word “after”. The Feast of Booths came after their work at the threshing floor and wine vat.

After they were done cutting down the stalks of grain and bringing them in from the field, they had to thresh the grain. Threshing involves removing the seeds of grain from the stalk.

Also, after they were done picking their grapes, they had to run them through the wine vat in order to make something they could drink.

Deut. 16:14 and you shall be glad in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female slaves and the Levite and the sojourner and the orphan and the widow who are within your gates.

Deut. 16:15 Seven days you shall celebrate a feast to Yahweh your God in the place which Yahweh chooses, because Yahweh your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether glad.

Deut. 16:16 ¶ “Three times in a year all your males shall appear before Yahweh your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before Yahweh empty-handed.

Don’t miss the words “empty-handed”. Every male had to bring something for Yahweh.

Deut. 16:17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of Yahweh your God which He has given you.

Look at the words “as he is able”. Every man had to bring something according to his means.

Deut. 16:18 ¶ “You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your gates of the towns which Yahweh your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.

Take note of the words “righteous judgment”. The Hebrew word translated as “righteous” means to do what is right, just, and fair.

Deut. 16:19 You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

Notice the prohibition against distorting justice, being partial, and taking bribes. Judges had to be fair and just. They had to do the right thing.

Deut. 16:20 Righteousness! Righteousness, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which Yahweh your God is giving you.

The word “righteousness” appears twice. That is for emphasis. Yahweh wanted to make sure everyone knew that judges needed to judge righteously.

We see a similar emphasis in the New Testament. Paul wrote that God does not show favoritism (Romans 2:11). Paul commanded Timothy to follow his instructions without partiality (1 Timothy 5:21). James commanded us to avoid favoritism (James 2:1) because partiality is a sin (James 2:9).

James was specifically writing against showing partiality to rich people, and giving them the best seats in the assembly. Poor people should not be forced into lower positions simply because they are poorly dressed.

On the other hand, if a poor person brings a false claim against a rich person, the poor person should not receive favoritism simply because he is poor. The rich person deserves to be acquitted if he did nothing wrong.

Deut. 16:21 ¶ “You shall not plant for yourself an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of Yahweh your God, which you shall make for yourself.

Deut. 16:22 And you shall not set up for yourself a sacred pillar which Yahweh your God hates.

One of the big problems in evangelicalism today is corrupt celebrity pastors. There are many pastors out there who are very charismatic; thus, they become celebrities. Unfortunately, many of them are also corrupt. Since they are famous celebrities, and since they can draw large crowds and raise a lot of money, they often get a pass when their sin and corruption are exposed. That is wrong.

There have been celebrity pastors who were exposed as adulterers, and then within a year or so they were serving as pastors again. Adulterers should never be pastors again. They should not receive favoritism simply because they can draw a crowd, generate emotion, and raise a lot of money.

Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. If you have already joined my email list, thank you and please tell others about Bible Mountain. If you have not joined my email list yet, please do so now. In order to join, go to BibleMountain.com, click on subscribe, and that will take you to a page where you can sign up. Your email address will not be sold or given away. Once again, thanks for visiting Bible Mountain.

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At the beginning of chapter 15, Yahweh commanded Israel to cancel all debts every seven years. This was a rule to make sure no Israelite descended into debt so deep he would never escape. This was given in the context of Yahweh telling Israel to provide for the poor and needy among them.

Deut. 15:9 Beware lest there be a vile thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of the remission of debts, is near,’ and your eye is hostile toward your needy brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to Yahweh against you, and it will be a sin in you.

Look at the word “Beware”. In the fifth and sixth years, it would have been tempting to be stingy because the likelihood of being repaid would have been low. Yahweh urged the Israelites to be on guard against that mentality. In fact, He warned Israel that it would be a sin.

Don’t miss the word “vile”. Being stingy would have been vile.

Don’t miss the word “hostile”. Failure to help a brother was a hostile act.

Deut. 15:10 You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you send forth your hand to do.

Notice the word “generously”. The Israelites were told to be generous.

Take note of the words “your heart shall not be grieved”. It would have been tempting for the Israelites to give grudgingly in the 5th or 6th year, knowing there was little hope of being repaid. The Israelites were commanded to resist the temptation to feel resentment.

Look at the word “bless”. Generosity would earn blessings.

Deut. 15:11 For the needy will never cease to be in the land; therefore I am commanding you, saying, ‘You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your afflicted and needy in your land.’

In this verse we see the word “freely”. The Israelites were to be quick to help others.

Deut. 15:12 ¶ “If your brother, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, then he shall serve you six years, but in the seventh year you shall let him go to be free from you.

Deut. 15:13 When you let him go to be free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed.

Deut. 15:14 You shall furnish him generously from your flock and from your threshing floor and from your wine vat; you shall give to him as Yahweh your God has blessed you.

Once again we see the word “generously”. When Israelites freed a fellow Hebrew, they were to give him something to take with him.

When Yahweh started the process of constructing the tabernacle, He assembled the materials by taking voluntary contributions from the Israelites. He did not command everyone to donate a certain amount. Instead, the only ones who contributed material were those who wanted to do so (see Exodus 25).

Something similar happened in the construction of the temple in Jerusalem. David had collected wood, precious metals, and precious stones to be used in the building of the temple. Then the people of Israel made great contributions to the work. They did that voluntarily. (see 1 Chronicles 29).

The book of Acts tells us that Jesus said it is better to give than to receive (see Acts 20:35). Paul commanded us to give with generosity and show mercy with cheerfulness (see Romans 12:8).

In 2 Corinthians, Paul wrote about the generosity of the Macedonians who gave beyond their ability (see 2 Corinthians 8:3). He praised them for their selflessness. In that letter, Paul wrote that God loves a cheerful giver (see 2 Corinthians 9:7).

Just as Yahweh commanded the Israelites to be generous with their brothers who were in need, so too we Christians are commanded to be generous with our fellow believers.

Deut. 15:15 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God redeemed you; therefore I am commanding you this today.

Since Yahweh freed Israel from slavery, the Israelites were obligated to freely release their slaves.

Deut. 15:16 And it will be that, if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he fares well with you;

Deut. 15:17 then you shall take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also you shall do likewise to your maidservant.

Deut. 15:18 ¶ “It shall not seem hard in your sight when you let him go to be free from you, for he has given you six years with double the service of a hired man; so Yahweh your God will bless you in whatever you do.

The point of this verse was to focus on what had been received, not on what was being lost. In other words, look on the bright side. Focus on the positive.

Deut. 15:19 ¶ “You shall set apart as holy to Yahweh your God all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock; you shall not work with the firstborn of your herd nor shear the firstborn of your flock.

Deut. 15:20 You and your household shall eat it every year before Yahweh your God in the place which Yahweh chooses.

Deut. 15:21 But if it has any defect, such as lameness or blindness, or any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to Yahweh your God.

Only the best was good enough for God. It is tempting to give God our leftover time and possessions. However, we should give Him the first and best of our time and possessions.

Deut. 15:22 You shall eat it within your gates; the unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as a gazelle or a deer.

Deut. 15:23 Only you shall not eat its blood; you are to pour it out on the ground like water.

In the following chapter, Moses pivoted to a new topic.

Deut. 16:1 ¶ “Keep the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to Yahweh your God, for in the month of Abib Yahweh your God brought you out of Egypt by night.

Just as being freed from slavery obligated the Israelites to free their fellow Hebrews, so too it obligated them to observe the Passover.

Deut. 16:2 And you shall sacrifice the Passover to Yahweh your God from the flock and the herd, in the place where Yahweh chooses for His name to dwell.

Deut. 16:3 You shall not eat leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), so that you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.

Deut. 16:4 For seven days no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory, and none of the flesh which you sacrifice on the evening of the first day shall remain overnight until morning.

Humans are naturally inclined to be greedy and selfish. Thus, we want to collect, not give. However, God wanted His temple to be built with materials that had been voluntarily donated. He commanded the Israelites to help one another.

Likewise, Jesus taught that it is better to give than to receive. We Christians are commanded to be generous. We need to give cheerfully.

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The 14th chapter of Deuteronomy is part of a long dialogue in which Moses reviewed the law code that governed the Israelites. In the verses we read yesterday, Moses listed the animals that were clean and consumable, and the animals that were unclean and could not be eaten.

Deut. 14:22 ¶ “You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year.

Look at the word “tithe”. The Hebrew word that was used there is a variation of a word that means “ten”. Tithing meant giving a tenth.

Deut. 14:23 And you shall eat in the presence of Yahweh your God, at the place where He chooses for His name to dwell, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear Yahweh your God all your days.

Notice the words “you shall eat”. The pronoun “you” refers to every Israelite. We often picture the sacrifices brought to the tabernacle as something that was either burned or eaten by the priests or Levites. There is a lot of truth to that. However, sometimes the non-Levitical Israelites ate part of the sacrifices. This was one of those occasions.

Deut. 14:24 And if the distance is so great for you that you are not able to bring the tithe, since the place where Yahweh your God chooses to set His name is too far away from you when Yahweh your God blesses you,

Deut. 14:25 then you shall exchange it for money and bind the money in your hand and go to the place which Yahweh your God chooses.

Deut. 14:26 And you may spend the money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of Yahweh your God and be glad, you and your household.

Deut. 14:27 Also you shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no portion or inheritance among you.

The tithing and sacrificial systems were used to provide food and clothing to the Levites since they did not inherit any land. When the Israelites were considering whether or not to go beyond the minimum requirement in offering tithes and sacrifices, they were to remember the benefit to the Levites of doing more than what was required.

Deut. 14:28 ¶ “At the end of every third year you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year and shall deposit it within your gates.

Deut. 14:29 And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance among you, and the sojourner, the orphan, and the widow who are within your gates, shall come and eat and be satisfied, in order that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

Once again we see the word “Levite”. The Levites did not receive an inheritance of land; therefore, the other tribes were required to provide sustenance to them.

Take note of the words “orphan” and “widow”. The Israelites were commanded to take care of the widows and orphans.

After Israel escaped slavery in Egypt and arrived at Mount Sinai, one of the first things Yahweh did was give them the ten commandments (see Exodus 20). Then Yahweh began giving a list of other commands. One of those early commands was “You shall not afflict any widow or orphan.” (Exodus 22:22). That command was given before all the instructions about building and using the tabernacle and ordaining priests. In other words, protecting and caring for widows and orphans is high on Yahweh’s priority list.

There are 6 chapters in Deuteronomy which mention widows and orphans (10, 14, 16, 24, 26, and 27). Six Psalms communicate the value Yahweh places upon protecting and providing for them (10, 68, 82, 94, 109, and 146). They are also mentioned in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Zechariah, and Malachi.

Jesus criticized the 1st-century religious leaders for taking advantage of widows (see Mark 12:40). A priority of the early church was feeding the Greek widows (see Acts 6). Paul commanded us to honor widows (see 1 Timothy 5).

Finally, James stated very bluntly, “Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction …” (James 1:27). Visiting orphans and widows is pure and undefiled religion.

Deut. 15:1 ¶ “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a remission of debts.

Deut. 15:2 And this is the manner of remission: every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother because the remission from Yahweh has been proclaimed.

This rule was designed to prevent people from descending into debt so deep they would never come out of it.

Deut. 15:3 From a foreigner you may exact it, but your hand shall release whatever of yours is with your brother.

Deut. 15:4 However, there will be no needy one among you, since Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess,

The Mosaic Law made provision for needy people, and yet the intent had been that needy Israelites would never exist.

Deut. 15:5 if only you listen obediently to the voice of Yahweh your God, to be careful to do all this commandment which I am commanding you today.

Don’t miss the word “if”. If Israel had obeyed Yahweh, then they would not have had any needy people among them.

Deut. 15:6 For Yahweh your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.

Deut. 15:7 ¶ “If there is a needy one among you, one of your brothers, in any of your gates of the towns in your land which Yahweh your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor close your hand from your needy brother;

Deut. 15:8 but you shall freely open your hand to him and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.

The general mentality of modern Christianity is that church services are the most important part of being a Christian. We think that God is impressed when we make music together and listen to sermons. However, Yahweh has always placed high value on taking care of widows and orphans. We see this all through the Bible. Furthermore, James makes it clear that taking care of widows and orphans is the purest exercise of religion.

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When we stopped reading yesterday, Moses had just instructed the Israelites to completely destroy any of their cities which encouraged people to serve gods other than Yahweh. They were to kill all the inhabitants and burn the city itself and everything in it.

Deut. 13:17 Now nothing from that which is devoted to destruction shall cling to your hand, in order that Yahweh may turn from His burning anger and grant compassion to you and show compassion to you and make you multiply, just as He has sworn to your fathers,

Take note that everyone was prohibited from taking spoil. The text doesn’t say why, other than to imply that taking spoil would prevent Yahweh from turning away His anger. This rule would have protected against overzealousness. In other words, if it was permissible to take spoil, then greedy people would have been tempted to falsely accuse a city of encouraging idolatry, just so they could go in, kill the inhabitants, and take the spoil. Since no one could take spoil, there was no motivation to falsely accuse a city. Again, the Bible doesn’t say that was the reason for the rule, but it could have been a factor.

Deut. 13:18 if you will listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, keeping all His commandments which I am commanding you today, and doing what is right in the sight of Yahweh your God.

Notice the word “if”. If Israel obeyed Yahweh, then they would multiply. That promise was given to Israel. It does not apply to modern Christians.

Deut. 14:1 ¶ “You are the sons of Yahweh your God; you shall not gash yourselves nor shave your forehead for the sake of the dead.

Take note of the words “for the sake of the dead”. I assume gashing and shaving foreheads were grieving practices of surrounding nations. Israel was prohibited from adopting those practices. They had to be different from other people.

Deut. 14:2 For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God, and Yahweh has chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Look at the word “For”. This verse explains the reason for the command given in verse 1. Israel was Yahweh’s treasured possession; therefore, they were not to gash themselves nor shave their foreheads for the sake of the dead.

Deut. 14:3 ¶ “You shall not eat any abominable thing.

Ponder the word “abominable”. The following verses list the things that were abominable and not to be eaten. The Bible doesn’t say why they were abominable. The only thing we know for sure is that it was abominable in Yahweh’s eyes for Israel to eat them; thus, it was wrong for Israel to eat them.

This is similar to the Garden of Eden. Yahweh told Adam and Eve that they could not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. There was nothing inherently wrong with the fruit of that tree. In fact, one of the reasons Eve ate the fruit was because she saw that the tree made good fruit (see Genesis 3:6). The only reason it was wrong to eat from that tree was because Yahweh said it was wrong.

The same thing is true regarding what Israel could eat. Some foods were clean while others were unclean. First and foremost, the primary reason the unclean foods were unclean was because Yahweh said they were unclean.

Deut. 14:4 These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,

Deut. 14:5 the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.

Deut. 14:6 And any animal that divides the hoof and has the hoof split in two and chews the cud, among the animals, that one you may eat.

Deut. 14:7 Nevertheless, you are not to eat of these among those which chew the cud or among those that divide the hoof in two: the camel and the rabbit and the shaphan, for though they chew the cud, they do not divide the hoof; they are unclean for you.

Deut. 14:8 And the pig, because it divides the hoof but does not chew the cud, it is unclean for you. You shall not eat any of their flesh nor touch their carcasses.

I have heard preachers claim that the reason for not eating pigs was because pork is unhealthy. However, the Bible does not say that. Again, the primary reason it was wrong for Israel to eat pigs was because Yahweh said they could not. Yahweh is God. He is the supreme power in the universe. When He gives us a command, we need to obey, period.

Deut. 14:9 ¶ “These you may eat of all that are in water: anything that has fins and scales you may eat,

Deut. 14:10 but anything that does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.

Deut. 14:11 ¶ “You may eat any clean bird.

Deut. 14:12 But these are the ones which you shall not eat: the eagle and the vulture and the buzzard,

Deut. 14:13 and the red kite, the falcon, and the kite in their kinds,

Deut. 14:14 and every raven in its kind,

Deut. 14:15 and the ostrich, the owl, the gull, and the hawk in their kinds,

Deut. 14:16 the little owl, the great owl, the white owl,

Deut. 14:17 the pelican, the carrion vulture, the cormorant,

Deut. 14:18 the stork, and the heron in their kinds, and the hoopoe and the bat.

Deut. 14:19 And all the teeming life with wings are unclean to you; they shall not be eaten.

Deut. 14:20 You may eat any clean bird.

Deut. 14:21 ¶ “You shall not eat anything which dies of itself. You may give it to the sojourner who is within your gates, so that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner, for you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

Look at the last command in this passage: “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” The Bible does not explain why this was a rule. Animals do not have feelings, so it is not like the mother goat would be crushed if her offspring was boiled in her milk. This was wrong simply because Yahweh said it was wrong.

These rules about clean and unclean foods do not apply today. They never did apply to Gentiles. Furthermore, when Jesus was on earth, He declared all foods clean (see Mark 7:19).

Many Christians today tend to ignore any Bible commands which seem random or arbitrary. They often justify disobedience by rationalizing away any command which they deem illogical. That is what Eve did. Yahweh told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. When Eve saw that the tree produced good food, she ate from it (see Genesis 3:6).

The Israelites were prohibited from eating unclean food. The food was unclean simply because Yahweh said it was unclean, not because there was anything inherently wrong with it. Thus, when Jesus was on earth, He was able to suddenly declare all foods clean.

The Bible has commands against divorce and remarriage, women speaking in church, and same-sex marriage. Many Christians today ignore those prohibitions by saying things like, “Divorced people are lonely. Women have teaching gifts they should be able to use in church. Homosexuals are born that way.” None of that matters. When God says something is wrong, then it is wrong, period.

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The 12th chapter of Deuteronomy is part of a long exhortation which Moses delivered to the Israelites on the east bank of the Jordan River. Yesterday, we read some instructions regarding the place where Israel was required to bring their sacrifices and offerings. Some Israelites were destined to live far away from the tabernacle. However, they were still required to bring certain offerings to the altar of Yahweh.

Deut. 12:29 ¶ “When Yahweh your God cuts off before you the nations which you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and inhabit their land,

Deut. 12:30 beware lest you be ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and lest you inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?’

Notice the word “beware”. This verse was a warning. Moses and Yahweh knew the Israelites would be tempted to serve false gods, so they warned Israel to be on guard against that.

Deut. 12:31 You shall not do thus toward Yahweh your God, for every abominable act which Yahweh hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

Look at the word “abominable”. The Canaanites did many abominable things. Offering children as sacrifices was one of them.

Don’t miss the word “hate”. Yahweh hated the practices of the Canaanites.

Here is something to ponder. Is abortion an act of sacrifice? Is abortion equivalent to burning children in the fire? The Canaanites proved their loyalty to their gods by offering their own children. What ideology are the proponents of abortion serving when they promote abortion?

Deut. 12:32 ¶ “Whatever I am commanding you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.

Take note of the last phrase of this verse: “you shall not add to nor take away from it”. Yahweh gave Israel a body of laws. They were not to ignore any of His commands. Nor were they to add any commands.

We see this warning elsewhere in Scripture. Proverbs 30:6 says, “Do not add to His words, Lest He reprove you, and you be proved a liar.” The Apostle John warned everyone not to add to or take away from the words of his book (see Revelation 22:18-19).

Humans have a tendency to do this very thing. Jesus criticized the 1st century religious leaders because they taught man-made rules as if they were the doctrines of God; and they created traditions which they used to nullify some of God’s rules (see Mark 7:6-13).

Both of these are happening in 21st century Christianity. The Bible says do not get drunk, but it does not outright prohibit the consumption of alcohol; however, some Christians treat the consumption of any alcohol as a sin. Meanwhile, modern Christianity tosses aside the Biblical rules on divorce and remarriage, head coverings, and the role of women in church by claiming those commands were cultural and are no longer relevant. Nowhere does the Bible say those commands were cultural. In fact, some of those commands were given because of the order of creation.

Deut. 13:1 ¶ “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,

Deut. 13:2 and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us walk after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’

Performing signs was how prophets proved they were prophets.

Deut. 13:3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for Yahweh your God is testing you to find out if you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Take note of the word “test”. If a prophet successfully performed a sign, but then encouraged the Israelites to walk after other gods, the Israelites were not to follow the prophet even though the prophet had proven himself with a sign. When a prophet said something that contradicted Scripture, the Israelites were supposed to recognize that Yahweh was testing the Israelites to see if they would follow Him fully and completely.

Perhaps we should apply this test today. From time to time, a person claims to be a prophet with a message from God, but then they teach something that is contrary to Scripture. If a person contradicts Scripture, we should follow Scripture, not the so-called prophet.

Deut. 13:4 You shall walk after Yahweh your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.

Deut. 13:5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death because he has counseled rebellion against Yahweh your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to drive you from the way in which Yahweh your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you.

Look at the last sentence of this verse “you shall purge the evil from among you.” There was to be zero tolerance for anyone who advocated rebellion against Yahweh.

We see something similar in the New Testament. Paul told the Corinthians not to associate with any so-called brother who was sexually immoral, greedy, idolatrous, reviling, a drunk, or a swindler (see 1 Corinthians 5:11). Then Paul wrote, “REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.” (1 Corinthians 5:13) Christians are to have zero tolerance for sin.

Deut. 13:6 ¶ “If your brother, your mother’s son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ (whom neither you nor your fathers have known,

Deut. 13:7 of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end),

Deut. 13:8 you shall not be willing to accept him or listen to him; and your eye shall not pity him; and you shall not spare him or conceal him.

Take note of the words “not pity”. Even if their wife, children, or best friend counseled idolatry, they were to take action.

Deut. 13:9 But you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.

Look at the word “kill”. The punishment for idolatry was supposed to be harsh and final.

Deut. 13:10 So you shall stone him to death because he has sought to drive you from Yahweh your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Deut. 13:11 Thus all Israel will hear and be afraid and will never again do such an evil thing among you.

Don’t overlook the word “fear”. The purpose of the harsh punishment was to create fear so that other Israelites would not do the same thing.

This is also a concept we see in the New Testament. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, reprove in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful.” (1 Timothy 5:19-20) The last word is “fearful”. When an elder sins, it is an occasion to generate fear so that others do not commit the same sin.

Deut. 13:12 ¶ “If you hear in one of your cities, which Yahweh your God is giving you to live in, anyone saying that

Deut. 13:13 some vile men have gone out from among you and have driven the inhabitants of their city astray, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ (whom you have not known),

Deut. 13:14 then you shall inquire and search out and ask thoroughly. Behold, if it is true and the matter is confirmed, that this abomination has been done among you,

Deut. 13:15 you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, devoting it to destruction and all that is in it and its cattle with the edge of the sword.

Deut. 13:16 Then you shall gather all its spoil into the middle of its open square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire as a whole burnt offering to Yahweh your God; and it shall be a ruin forever. It shall never be rebuilt.

The prevalent mindset today is tolerance. Many Christians want to be lenient regarding sin. Furthermore, we tend to add to God’s laws and ignore the laws of God we don’t like.

Just as the Israelites were not to add to nor take away from God’s laws, so too we should obey every one of God’s commands and not create man-made rules and pretend they are God’s rules. Furthermore, just as God told the Israelites to purge evil, so too Christians must remove the wicked from our midst.

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When we stopped reading yesterday, Moses had promised Israel that they were going to cross the Jordan River and inherit the land. After they were at rest, Yahweh would appoint a place where they would need to bring their offerings and sacrifices.

Deut. 12:13 ¶ “Beware, lest you offer your burnt offerings in every cultic place you see,

Deut. 12:14 but in the place which Yahweh chooses in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I am commanding you.

Take note of the words “the place”. The word “place” is singular. There would be only one acceptable place for them to bring their burnt offerings.

Deut. 12:15 ¶ “However, you may sacrifice and eat meat within any of your gates, whatever you desire, according to the blessing of Yahweh your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and the deer.

Deut. 12:16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you are to pour it out on the ground like water.

Don’t overlook the prohibition against eating blood. Blood is very important.

After Cain killed Abel, Yahweh said that Abel’s blood was crying to Him from the ground (see Genesis 4:10). After Noah and his sons came off the ark, Yahweh told them not to eat blood because blood is the life (see Genesis 9:4). Furthermore, Yahweh declared to Noah that “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed” (Genesis 9:6). When Israel was preparing for the first Passover, they were told to put blood on their doorposts and lintels because the blood would be a sign that would protect them from death (see Exodus 12:13). Blood was used to anoint Aaron as the high priest (see Exodus 29:20). There are multiple times in the book of Leviticus when Israel was told not to eat blood (see Leviticus 3:17, 7:26, 17:10-14, and 19:26).

When Jesus inaugurated the Lord’s Supper, He declared that the cup represents His blood which was poured out for the forgiveness of sins (see Matthew 26:28). Paul wrote that we are justified by the blood of Jesus (see Romans 5:9). We have redemption through His blood (see Ephesians 1:7) and are brought near through His blood (see Ephesians 2:13). The author of Hebrews drew a contrast between the blood of the animal sacrifices which needed to be offered many times and the blood of Jesus which only needed to be offered once (see Hebrews 9). Hebrews also states that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness (see Hebrews 9:22).

Deut. 12:17 You are not allowed to eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or new wine or oil, or the firstborn of your herd or flock, or any of your votive offerings which you vow, or your freewill offerings, or the contribution of your hand.

Deut. 12:18 But you shall eat them before Yahweh your God in the place which Yahweh your God will choose, you and your son and daughter, and your male and female slaves, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall be glad before Yahweh your God in all that you send forth your hand to do.

Deut. 12:19 Beware lest you forsake the Levite all your days upon your land.

Verse 19 seems somewhat random, but it is not. The Levites did not inherit land. Their living came from the tabernacle service and receiving portions of the offerings and sacrifices. Moses reminded Israel that as they brought their offerings and sacrifices, they needed to use those occasions to provide for the Levites.

Deut. 12:20 ¶ “When Yahweh your God enlarges your territory as He has promised you, and you say, ‘I will eat meat,’ because you desire to eat meat, then you may eat meat, whatever you desire.

Deut. 12:21 If the place where Yahweh your God chooses to set His name is too far away from you, then you may sacrifice of your herd and flock which Yahweh has given you, as I have commanded you; and you may eat within your gates whatever you desire.

Look at the word “If” and the words “too far away”. Once Israel settled the Promised Land, many of them would be too far away from the tabernacle to go there on a regular basis. Therefore, Yahweh made provisions for how those who were far away could obey God’s laws.

Deut. 12:22 Just as a gazelle or a deer is eaten, so you will eat it; the unclean and the clean alike may eat of it.

Deut. 12:23 Only be strong in yourselves not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.

Deut. 12:24 You shall not eat it; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.

Once again we see the prohibition against eating the blood.

Deut. 12:25 You shall not eat it, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you, for you will be doing what is right in the sight of Yahweh.

Deut. 12:26 Only your holy things which you may have and your votive offerings, you shall take and go to the place which Yahweh chooses.

Deut. 12:27 And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, on the altar of Yahweh your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of Yahweh your God, and you shall eat the flesh.

Certain sacrifices had to be taken to the altar of Yahweh. There was no exemption.

Deut. 12:28 ¶ “Be careful to listen to all these words which I command you, so that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever, for you will be doing what is good and right in the sight of Yahweh your God.

Murder of the born and unborn is very common today. Our society does not have proper respect for blood. We Christians must not adopt this casual attitude towards the shedding of man’s blood and the blood of Jesus which was shed for us.

Just as the Israelites had to treat blood as sacred, so too when Christians partake of the Lord’s Supper, we need to treat it with the respect and dignity it deserves (see 1 Corinthians 11:22) because the cup in the Lord’s Supper represents His blood which was shed for us. We are expressly prohibited from drinking the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner (see 1 Corinthians 11:27).

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When we finished reading yesterday, Moses had just commanded the Israelites to constantly ponder God’s laws and teach them to their sons. Moses promised that if they did that, then Yahweh would dispossess nations from before them and their days in the land would be long.

Deut. 11:26 ¶ “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse:

Deut. 11:27 the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I am commanding you today;

Deut. 11:28 and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by walking after other gods which you have not known.

Take note of the black-and-white choice Israel had. They could choose to obey Yahweh and be blessed, or they could choose to disobey and be cursed.

Yahweh has always placed a premium on obedience. Adam and Eve were not kicked out of the Garden of Eden because they had faulty theology. They were kicked out because they disobeyed a very simple command not to eat from a certain tree. Israel’s choice between being blessed or being cursed was not based on having correct theology. It was based on obedience.

Many Christians think our highest priority should be having perfect doctrinal statements and then attending so-called worship services where we can have an emotional experience. Instead, Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and we love God by obeying God. (See Matthew 22:35-38 and John 14:15.)

Deut. 11:29 ¶ “And it will be, when Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, that you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.

Deut. 11:30 Are they not across the Jordan, west of the way toward the sunset, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah, opposite Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh?

Deut. 11:31 For you are about to cross the Jordan to go in to possess the land which Yahweh your God is giving you, and you shall possess it and live in it,

Deut. 11:32 and you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the judgments which I am setting before you today.

Again, Moses did not emphasize correct theology or having a perfect doctrinal statement. He emphasized obedience.

Deut. 12:1 ¶ “These are the statutes and the judgments which you shall be careful to do in the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess all the days you live on the earth.

Ponder the word “careful”. Obedience was not something they could be casual about. Instead, they had to be intentional and deliberate about obeying Yahweh.

Deut. 12:2 You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess serve their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.

Deut. 12:3 And you shall tear down their altars and shatter their sacred pillars and burn their Asherim with fire, and you shall cut the graven images of their gods in pieces and destroy their name from that place.

The first commandment was to have no other gods before Yahweh. Thus, when Israel entered the land, a top priority had to be destroying all the false gods.

Deut. 12:4 You shall not do thus toward Yahweh your God.

Once again, notice the black-and-white choice placed before Israel. They had to destroy all the Canaanite gods, but they had to do the opposite with Yahweh.

Deut. 12:5 But you shall seek Yahweh at the place which Yahweh your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come.

Take note of the words “the place”. Worship of Yahweh had to happen at a particular place. Furthermore, Yahweh was going to choose the place. The Israelites were not free to make that choice.

Deut. 12:6 And there you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.

Deut. 12:7 There also you and your households shall eat before Yahweh your God, and be glad in all that you send forth your hand to do, in which Yahweh your God has blessed you.

Deut. 12:8 ¶ “You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes;

Don’t miss the phrase “every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes”. Apparently, that is what was happening on the east bank of the Jordan River, and that had to stop.

We know from the book of Judges that it did not stop. Two verses in the book of Judges state that there was no king in Israel; thus, every man did what was right in his own eyes (see Judges 17:6 and 21:25). Those two verses somewhat summarize the time period covered by the book of Judges, which was several hundred years.

This is a continuation of the theme we see throughout the Bible that Yahweh wants obedience first and foremost.

Deut. 12:9 for you have not as yet come to the resting place and the inheritance which Yahweh your God is giving you.

Deut. 12:10 Now you will cross the Jordan and live in the land which Yahweh your God is giving you to inherit. And He will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you live in security.

Deut. 12:11 Then it will be that the place in which Yahweh your God will choose for His name to dwell, there you shall bring all that I am commanding you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution of your hand, and all your choice votive offerings which you will vow to Yahweh.

In order to obey God, it was necessary to bring all the required offerings and sacrifices, and they had to be brought to the correct place, a place which would be specified by Yahweh.

Deut. 12:12 And you shall be glad before Yahweh your God, you and your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, and the Levite who is within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance with you.

Many Christians today think that our top priority as Christians should be singing God’s praises, donating money to the church, having a correct doctrinal statement, and/or having church unity. Those things are valuable. However, that is not God’s top priority.

When Jesus was asked which is the greatest commandment, He said the great command is to love God. He also declared that anyone who truly loves God will obey God (see John 14:15). The test to see if anyone truly loves God is to observe if they obey God (see John 14:21).

Many Christians tend to separate God’s commands into important commands and unimportant commands. Prohibitions against murder, adultery, and lying are considered vital. Meanwhile, commands regarding the role of women and how to conduct church services are treated as unimportant.

However, Adam and Eve were not kicked out of the Garden of Eden because they murdered someone or committed adultery. They were kicked out because they ate from the wrong tree. Likewise, every command from God is important, even commands regarding how to do church and the role of women in the family, church, and society.

Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. If you have already joined my email list, thank you and please tell others about Bible Mountain. If you have not joined my email list yet, please do so now. In order to join, go to BibleMountain.com, click on subscribe, and that will take you to a page where you can sign up. Your email address will not be sold or given away. Once again, thanks for visiting Bible Mountain.

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At the end of yesterday’s reading, Moses was reminding Israel that the men who were listening to him were eyewitnesses of Yahweh’s might. Many of them had seen the plagues that were inflicted upon Egypt. Most of them had consumed food and water that Yahweh miraculously provided in the wilderness. Very recently, Yahweh had given them victory over the Amorites on the east side of the Jordan River.

Deut. 11:8 ¶ “You shall therefore keep every commandment which I am commanding you today, so that you may be strong and go in and possess the land into which you are about to cross to possess it;

Take note of the word “therefore”. Since Yahweh had provided for them, they were obligated to obey Yahweh’s commandments.

Look at the words “so that”. If Israel obeyed, then they would possess the land of Canaan.

Deut. 11:9 so that you may prolong your days on the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give to them and to their seed, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Once again we see the words “so that”. Obeying Yahweh would prolong their days on the land.

Deut. 11:10 For the land, into which you are entering to possess it, is not like the land of Egypt from which you came out, where you used to sow your seed and water it with your foot like a vegetable garden.

Don’t miss the word “not”. The Promised Land was not like Egypt. In Egypt, Israel had to irrigate the land in order to grow food.

Deut. 11:11 But the land into which you are about to cross to possess it, a land of hills and valleys, drinks water from the rain of heaven,

In contrast, Israel was entering the Promised Land, a land that was watered by rain.

If you have been to Israel, you know that today Israel is very arid. They do a lot of irrigating today. This does not mean the Bible is wrong. Instead, it shows that the land of Israel has changed over the centuries. There are few forests in Israel today; whereas, when Israel entered Canaan, there were many forests (see Joshua 17:18 and 2 Samuel 18:8).

Deut. 11:12 a land for which Yahweh your God cares; the eyes of Yahweh your God are always on it, from the beginning even to the end of the year.

Deut. 11:13 ¶ “And it will be that, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love Yahweh your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul,

Notice the word “if”. If Israel obeyed Yahweh, then Yahweh would do what is listed in verse 14.

Deut. 11:14 that I, Yahweh, will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rains, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil.

The land of Israel would continue to be a fertile, well-watered land if Israel obeyed Yahweh.

Deut. 11:15 And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.

Deut. 11:16 Beware lest your hearts be deceived, and you turn away and serve other gods and worship them,

Deut. 11:17 and the anger of Yahweh will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its fruit; and you will perish quickly from the good land which Yahweh is giving you.

If Israel did not obey, then the land would become arid. As we know from the rest of Scripture, Israel was very rebellious. If you have been to Israel, you know that today the land of Israel is arid.

Modern Israelis blame the aridity on the lack of forests. There is truth to that. Forests cause rainfall; therefore, the lack of forests causes aridity. However, that does not mean Yahweh did not cause the aridity. Instead, Yahweh used natural means, the destruction of the forests, to turn the Promised Land into an arid land.

Deut. 11:18 ¶ “You shall therefore place these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as phylacteries between your eyes.

Deut. 11:19 And you shall teach them to your sons, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.

Deut. 11:20 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,

Deut. 11:21 so that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied on the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens remain above the earth.

Deut. 11:22 For if you are careful to keep this entire commandment which I am commanding you to do, to love Yahweh your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cling to Him,

Deut. 11:23 then Yahweh will dispossess all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you.

Deut. 11:24 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours; your border will be from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the river, the river Euphrates, as far as the western sea.

Deut. 11:25 No man will be able to stand before you; Yahweh your God will put the dread of you and the fear of you on all the land on which you set foot, as He has spoken to you.

Just as it is possible to explain the aridity of the land of Israel on natural forces, and ignore God’s role in that change, so too many people through history have tried to downplay God’s power by explaining miracles using natural means. The Bible tells us Israel crossed the Red Sea and the Jordan River on dry land. Bible skeptics either deny those events or claim that weather events just happened to occur at the right time in order to create the dry ground.

Even if many miracles were the result of natural weather events, that does not eliminate the miraculous nature of the miracles. The natural events still happened at the exact moment God said they would happen. The fact that Yahweh used natural forces to create dry ground does not negate the fact that Yahweh directed the natural forces to do His bidding.

This means that today, when natural catastrophes happen, it may be God orchestrating the weather event to achieve His goals. Just because we can explain all the atmospheric conditions that led to the weather event does not mean that God is not the One controlling the atmospheric conditions in order to create the weather event. Yahweh may be more actively involved in human affairs than we realize.

Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. If you have already joined my email list, thank you and please tell others about Bible Mountain. If you have not joined my email list yet, please do so now. In order to join, go to BibleMountain.com, click on subscribe, and that will take you to a page where you can sign up. Your email address will not be sold or given away. Once again, thanks for visiting Bible Mountain.

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”