Deuteronomy 22:5 - Be the person God has made us to be

As God’s redeemed and covenant people, the children of Israel were not just a unique but also a distinct people. And they must live as such. They were called to influence the nations surrounding them and not vice-versa. The commandments and instructions God gave them should facilitate them to be His unique people and effective witnesses to the nations. Being the all-knowing God, He would not spare even the minutest detail to help them be such.

To achieve God’s mandate for them, the children of Israel had to acknowledge one fundamental truth: whether one was a male or a female, God had made each of them as each should be. Hence, every child of God, male or female, must accept his or her gender and hold it sacredly. Each of them must then live and behave as each had been made to be. So it was in that light that Deuteronomy 22:5 forbade crossed dressing. A woman was not to wear a man’s clothing nor a man, a woman’s clothing. God would not allow them to be confused about their respective genders.

Firstly, to cross-dress would be a violation of common decency. It violates the natural image of the man or the woman God had made one to be. It is suggesting that God could have made a mistake on one’s gender. Secondly, cross-dressing was a common practice in pagan worship. The sexes of pagan deities were often mystical. Devotees seeking to please a particular deity would come attired like that deity. If it was a goddess, they would come dressed like a female or vice-versa. Besides, the priest would dress as a female to minister to their goddess. God would not allow His people to emulate them. Thirdly, cross-dressing could open the way for deception and debauchery which to God were abominations.

The Bible is clear that God has made us who we are, yes even our gender. Genesis 1:27 puts it this way, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” As people who believe in God and the Bible as His Word, we can be sure that He has made us who we are, including our gender. Therefore we must live to honor the person that God has made us to be and not to try to be otherwise. This is fundamental if we are to live as the person God has made us to be. Like the people of Israel were called to be witnesses to the nations surrounding them, we are called to be His effective witnesses in the fallen world. We will find it hard to be effective witnesses when we are even confused about our gender. Let us live according to whom God has made us. We should not be ashamed of who God has made us. Don’t languish in trying to be the person God did not make us to be. Rather be the flourishing person we are made to be. Our Heavenly Father knows best!

 

Deuteronomy 22:1-4 – Why should we be compassionate?

When Israel became God’s covenant people, they were given the Ten Commandments.  Living by them would make them stand out as God’s unique people. The first four commandments deal with relating with God while the next six deal with relating with one’s fellowmen. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses was dealing with how those commandments of God should be applied in life. Now in Deuteronomy 22 and the next three chapters, Moses would be dealing with several sundry issues on building a decent society in the promised land. In Deuteronomy 22, he dealt with two issues broadly. They have to do with being good neighbors and ensuring faithful marriage. We shall also reflect on the different issues and their implications presented in this chapter in bite sizes.

In the first four verses of Deuteronomy 22 is the call to exercise brotherly love for one’s neighbors. The people of Israel, all 12 tribes, belonged to the same family. Hence, they must recognize the fact that they belonged to each other. Here we see Moses urging God’s people to act rightly as a family. They must act cordially toward each other even though they might not personally know each other. God expected them to be each other’s keepers. Hence, their kind action should include returning each other’s strayed animals and lost goods.

Here in these four verses, we sense a call of God for His people to develop a spirit of compassion and care towards each other. The account talked about a person coming across a strayed animal not belonging to him or finding some lost goods. The person could respond in one of these ways.  Firstly, if he knew who the owner was, he must seek out the owner and return the animal or his lost goods to him. Secondly, if he did not know who the owner was, he could hold on to it, take care of it till the owner showed up to claim it. And thirdly, he could simply ignore it. God’s expectation was of course for him to do the first two. He could not choose the third option. With the same spirit,  in verse 4, God prescribed what a person must do when he discovered a neighbor’s animal in trouble. He must not ignore it but rather rescue it.

God wants us, His people, to develop a love for our neighbors. In His community, we must learn to view ourselves as family members of one another even though we may not always know each other personally. He expects us to do the right thing. He will not allow us not to offer a helping hand to someone in need. One attitude that can sabotage the spirit of compassion is the spirit of nonchalance. God will not allow His people to develop it. We are to be kind to one another. Our compassion can be the reason why others can believe and trust in God. Jesus commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves. This will demonstrate His love through us. Let’s do it!

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 – Living a leaven-free life

How to make sense of Deuteronomy 21:22-23? What applicable principles can we see in these two verses? To help us make sense of the drift of these two verses we need to bear in mind that Israel as a nation described in the Old Testament was God’s covenant community. And being the covenant people of God, they had covenant obligation. God must be at the center of their existence. Hence, their social life and spiritual life were not separate entities. Their relationship and experience with God would best be seen in the way they lived out their lives. Factoring God into every aspect of their life was not a choice but a necessity because they were accountable to God. As Christ’s redeemed people we share the same sentiment. While we must obey the law of the land, we are ultimately accountable to God. Hence, we must live our lives responsibly to please Him. Remember that God's instructions were given to enforce good social behaviors. 

Now to the two verses in focus. These verses presupposed that punishment by death was already a practice then. The construction of verse 22 tells us that hanging to death was not the mode of the sentence. A person was hanged on the tree only after he had been put to death, most likely by stoning. In a God-centric community, a person who had committed a capital crime was not just a social problem. It was a spiritual one too. And God did not want the crime to be emulated. The person must be executed usually by stoning. After that, he would then be hanged upon a tree publicly to be a lesson on the seriousness of the crime. The objective was to deter the commitment of such crimes. In these verses, we also see that even in capital punishment God’s mercy and value of life could be seen. He would not allow the dead body to decompose, pollute the land and harm His people. Hence the instruction was for the body to be taken down on the same day to be buried and not left overnight.  

Interestingly, Paul quoted this verse in Galatians 3:13. The quotation was made in relation to Christ's death at Calvary. Paul's point, however, was not on Christ’s death by being hung on the tree. His emphasis was that our Lord was hanged on that cursed tree to bear the curse of our sin. He bore our sin on Calvary’s tree to free us from its polluting influence. God wants us to be a holy people, living free lives. And Christ died to enable us to live that kind of sin-free life. And only in Him that the polluting effect of sin can be halted. Just like God wanted the promised land He gave to His people to be free from the pollution of the decomposed body, God wants the life He has granted us to be free from the pollution of sin.    

The objectives of these two verses are firstly to tell us that God wants a righteous people free from sinful activities. The death sentence and public display of the dead body were prescribed as a deterrent. It was a visual message to the people on the seriousness of sin. This is what Calvary would do for us. Whenever we think of Christ on Calvary’s tree,  we should feel the gravity of sin. It should motivate us to want to live a sin-free life. Thinking of Christ’s tormenting death on our behalf should disincentivize us from wanting to commit sin ever again. Secondly, the removal of the dead body to be buried on the same day was to prevent the decomposition of the body to pollute the land and harm the people. It is a grim reminder to us of the polluting effect of sin that must be removed. Symbolically, this tells us that God does not want the curse of sin to pollute the community and harm His holy people. Hence at Calvary, Christ took away the curse of sin. It is only in Him that the polluting effect of sin can be dealt with. By the grace of God, let us live a leaven-free life to glorify Him. It can be done by the power of the Holy Spirit in us!

 

Deuteronomy 21:18-21 – Nurturing the spirit of obedience

Obedience and submission are two godly habits every one of us needs to nurture in our children. These were God’s expectations of the children of Israel during their wandering years. Yet these were precisely the two areas that they constantly got into trouble. However, when they realized their wrong, repented, and returned to God, He would forgive them. But being gracious to them was one thing and allowing them to continue in these harmful attitudes was another. God certainly did not want the spirit of disobedience and insubordination to be cultivated and fomented. Hence the instruction of Deuteronomy 21:18-23 was necessitated. The pertinent question we ask then is, what has recalcitrant children who rebelled against their parents to do with obeying and submitting to God? The answer is simply this: obedience and submission are first cultivated in the home. If a son would not obey and submit to his parents, he most likely would not obey and submit to God. Furthermore, in the fifth commandment, God specifically said, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” God requires of every child to honor their parents.

So in Deuteronomy 21:18-21, God prescribed the discipline for a rebellious son who continued in a life of indulgence in gluttony and drunken revelry. The parents were expected to forcefully bring the son to the elders of the city. At the gate of the city, the parents would then openly declare the son’s rebelliousness and indulgence before the elders. Then all the men of the city would stone that wayward son to death. God’s objective for this act was stated clearly in verse 21. It was to make a public example of what would happen to rebelliousness, hence to purge this evil from the midst of His people. we learn here that the spirit of rebelliousness that starts in the home against one’s parents has the potential of nurturing the same spirit of rebelliousness against the Lord. It must be curbed.  

In these verses, we see the Lord’s aversion to the spirit of disobedience and insubordination. In 1 Samuel 15:23, we are told that “rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.” Cultivation of the spirit of obedience and submissiveness begins in the home. This underscores the need for good and godly parenting. As Christian parents, we need to inculcate obedience when our children are young and help them to make obedience a habit. Obedience will curtail the spirit of insubordination. The home is our children’s first training ground for godly living. Don’t waste the opportunity to use it to raise godly children for the glory of God. Spare the rod and hate the child!       

Deuteronomy 21:15-17 – Avoiding showing partiality

One disturbing fact when reading Deuteronomy 21:15-17 is the suggestion of the practice of bigamy. Be sure that right from the start God’s intention was for every marriage to be monogamous. The question we ask then why do we read about the polygamous and bigamous relationships in the Old Testament? The patriarchs from Abraham and Jacob had more than one wife. Then we read of both David and Solomon had more than one wife. The list can go on. But no answer will ever be completely adequate and satisfactory, except that polygamy and bigamy in the Old Testament were allowed as a concession.

While God’s revelation is wholistic and He can see the end from the beginning, our  revelation is progressive. We can only understand more as more truths come to light. So when we come to the New Testament, more light had been shed and the emphasis for marriage is for one man one wife. Anyway, polygamy or bigamy always brings discontent. No man who has more than one wife will ever be exempted from stress, strife, and tension in the home. So it makes perfect sense to stay faithful to the woman one marries and avoid the needless bickering in one’s family.    

Since the fall, men had been rendered incapable of total obedience until Christ came.  So prior to Christ’s coming, God had to have laws in place to regulate human relationships. Deuteronomy 21:15-17 was given to ensure impartiality in the home. These verses suggest that when a man had two wives, he would experience divided affection for his wives. He would show his love for one wife more than the other. When that happened, he would also show disparity when he was dividing his inheritance. The portion to the firstborn was always a double portion and the inheritance of the family land. God was making sure that even if the firstborn was not from his favorite wife, he must be given the double portion accorded to the firstborn.  

What application can we glean from these three verses? Firstly, we need to know that  God’s intention for marriage is one man one wife. So be sure to stay faithful to that one woman one has married. Don’t invite complications to one’s home and bring stress, strife, and tension by entertaining a polygamous relationship. Thankfully the marriage law in Singapore only makes provision for monogamous marriage. The implication of these verses is for us to stay true to the woman we marry. Secondly, underpinning these three verses is the call to be impartial. By staying in a monogamous marriage one will have reduced one area of playing favorite and practicing impartiality. One will only have one spouse to shower his love on. There will not be another to bring about a divided affection. The two lessons for us are: to ensure faithfulness in marriage and to avoid impartiality. We must nurture a God-pleasing and harmonious home for the glory of God.   

Deuteronomy 21:9-14 – Making our marriage good

Israel as the redeemed people of God was called to live differently. They must live in the light of their relationship with God. How they conducted their lives, especially in marriage, must reflect their call as God’s compassionate people. Human life was to be valued. Just because a woman had been taken captive in war, it did not mean that they could do with her as they wanted. The proper protocol had to be observed if a man had spotted a beautiful woman captured in war and wanted to take her as his wife. Deuteronomy 21:9-14 discusses the protocol.

A captive woman whom a man wanted as a wife would have to shave her hair, trim her nails, and change her clothing. Then she would stay in his home and be given a full month to lament her dead parents. These actions were most likely part of the process of having her denounce her heathen past. Only after she had completed these rites then could he take her as his wife. However, after having her as his wife and he seemingly had grown tired of her, he was not to sell her off as a slave. Neither could he make her his own slave. He must let her go free.  

These stipulations show us how God wanted to preserve human dignity, especially that of a woman. Just because she was a captured woman did not mean that she could be treated without decorum and propriety. Then the requirement for her to go through the rites was also to ensure that she had severed with her past life and was ready to adopt a new way of living. The instruction forbidding the sale of the woman as a slave or making her one's own slave further enforced the dignity God wanted the woman to be accorded.

Here are two lessons: Firstly, we need to know that marriage is a serious matter. There are obligations to keep. So don’t flippantly rush into a marriage. Make sure due consideration is given before making such a commitment. Faithfulness and commitment must be given priority over beauty. Once we have made the decision to marry a person, be sure to stay faithful to it. Secondly, a man has the right to choose whoever he wants to marry but he does not have the right to treat his wife anyway he wants, especially when the marriage has worn through the years. There is a necessity to make sure we keep love growing and glowing in our marriage. One’s wife must be treated with dignity and propriety. A good marriage is the best testimony to a faithful God. Honor God by making our marriage good.      

Deuteronomy 21:1-9 – Am I my brother’s keeper?

The sixth commandment of God says, “You shall not murder.” And we know that loving our neighbors must be reflected in our respect for human life. Here in the first nine verses of Deuteronomy 21, God gave instructions on what His people had to do when they were not guilty of a particular murder. The chapter opened with God’s call for His people to be concerned with what happened in their neighborhood. The scenario in these verses portrayed the discovery of a dead body, and no one knew who had murdered that person. Since the taking of a life to God was a grievous sin, cleansing must be carried out even though the murderer was unknown. God would not allow His people to shrug their shoulders and pretend as if nothing had happened. He wanted to ensure that the guilt of shedding blood in His land must be purged. So the elders of the town nearest where the dead body was found would be responsible to take appropriate action for the cleansing.

Here was what God expected the elders of that city to do. They had to carry out a cleansing ritual to rid the land of the guilt of shedding innocent blood. A heifer, a young cow that had not been yoked and put to work, would be taken to an unpolluted stream nearby. Its neck would be broken in the place of the unknown murderer. All the elders of that city where the dead body was found would come forward and wash their hands over the neck of the slain heifer. They would then openly avow that they did not murder the person neither did they know who the murderer was. Then they would adjure the Lord to free them from the guilt of the murder of that dead man. The declaration would be done before a presiding Levitical priest. The objective of the whole procedure was to atone for the murder and to declare the people who were innocent free from the guilt of shedding blood.  

What does a passage like this mean to us? We live in a self-absorbed world. The proclivity of us fallen men is to be concerned only for ourselves and not for others. A piece of disturbing news in the USA recently told of a lady who was raped for a good eight minutes on a train in the full view of fellow commuters. It was sad enough that none came to her rescue. But what was unacceptably deplorable about this situation was that some commuters whipped out their handphones, not to call the police but to record the whole scene. This type of nonchalant, couldn’t careless attitude has become so prevalent in our fallen world. The world is plagued with a Cain-like attitude. Like him, many would ask, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” It is common to see such attitude that says, “If I am not hurt, it doesn’t concern me. It is not my business, and I am not bothered by what has happened.” We can now understand why God’s commandment included the call to love others as ourselves. As believers, we cannot be indifferent to social injustice. We must be part of the solution to our problematic world. We need to be a light to shine forth the righteousness of God.     

  

Deuteronomy 20:10-20 – Dealing wisely with life’s potential loopholes

In Deuteronomy 7:1-6, God made clear that when the children of Israel entered the promised land, they must annihilate the Canaanites. The reason was obvious. God did not want His people to be influenced to worship and serve other gods. To do that would cause God to destroy them too. Deuteronomy 20:17 re-iterated the call to destroy the Canaanites. God’s precise words were  “…you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you….” God’s objective for this order was again made clear in verse 18. He did not want His people to be wickedly influenced by the Canaanites. So He said, “…so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods so that you would sin against the Lord your God.”  

For the rest of the cities that posed no threat to their walk with God, the Israelites were told to offer a treaty of peace. Opportunities would be given to them for a peaceful surrender. If the offer of peace was accepted the people of that city could be made their servants to serve them. However, if they would not accept the offer of peace, the Israelites would have the right to lay siege on the city. They could destroy all the men, but the women, children, and animals would be spared and be taken as spoils of war. These would constitute God’s gift to them. This was how they should deal with cities that posed no threat to their walk with God.  

Deuteronomy 20:19-20 gave instructions on what the Israelites could and could not do when they lay siege to a city. While God’s people laid siege to a city, they were not allowed to destroy the fruit trees. They could cut down non-fruit trees for the purpose of siege, but they must not destroy the fruit trees. To spare the fruit trees meant that they would have to exercise self-control under the most strenuous circumstances. Even in the thick of battle, they had to exercise obedience to God and not destroy the fruit trees as they were instructed. Furthermore, in sparing the fruit trees, they were ensuring their means of support for themselves after the conquest.  

The lesson: while God wants us to remove all sources of influence that could lead us to a life of compromise, He also would want us to deal carefully with those that seem to pose no real threat to us inour relationship with HIm.. We learn from these verses that primarily what God wants is for us to offer peace in the expansion of His Kingdom. However, the war against ungodly influence will be needed to ensure that they will not be a threat to our relationship and walk with Him. Where the influence of sin is concerned, it must be cut off totally so that we will not be led astray. We cannot soft paddle it!

Deuteronomy 20:1-9 – Add faith and courage to our spiritual journey

The children of Israel were at a point where they would be crossing the Jordan to possess Canaan, their promised land. To cross over was the easier part of the plan, to possess it was another. Since the land was occupied by pagan inhabitants, God's people must not expect them to roll over and play dead, and let the Israelites take over. They should anticipate that these people would want to fight to retain their land. In Deuteronomy 20:1-9, God began to set out what they must or must not do to gain ground.

Most importantly, they must know that God would be with them in the fight. They must enter the battle fearlessly believing that God would be there with and for them. Their deliverance from Egypt should already be a clear reminder that it was God who had brought them out victoriously. To win their battle, they must always factor God in the battle. To enforce this truth, the priest would come and exhort and encourage them to enter the warfare boldly. His words to them going forth into battle were captured in verses 3-4.  He was to remind them saying, “Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”   

In Deuteronomy 20:5-8, four categories of people were exempted from the battle. Firstly were those who had just built a house and had yet to dedicate it to the Lord. Secondly were those who had just planted a vineyard and had yet to taste the fruit of his labor. Thirdly were those who were engaged to be married. Notice that these three categories of people had some commitment and might not be fully focused on the task expected of them. In losing concentration, they might die in the battle and their future would be ruined. How thoughtful and reasonable God truly was! And finally, God instructed that the cowardly who were too fearful to fight to be excluded from the battle. These should be sent home. Why? They would be a source of discouragement by transmitting their fear to those who would be engaged in battle.    

The warfare that was expected of the children of Israel would become lessons for us in our spiritual battle to attain the goal expected of us in our faith journey. The Christian walk is a battle for our life. God has rescued us from the world and set us on a journey with Him. Every one of us who has a relationship with Christ will face conflict. We will need to battle with our self-life, with the world, and with the devil. We need to deal with the desire for self-aggrandizement as well as the lure of the world and the devil’s persistent temptations. To live and walk victoriously, we need to factor God into every aspect of our journey, and courageously trust God even in trying circumstances. One key to victory in our walk is to fully trust our faithful God. We can never fail with God! 

Deuteronomy 19:15-21 – Upholding truth and justice

Any just society must have laws to ensure the people can co-exist peacefully. And testimonies of witnesses are important elements to ensure true justice. This will be especially critical in crimes deserving capital punishment. God wants to ensure that any crime be accurately ascertained before an accused is sentenced. He should not be condemned on the evidence of one witness because a witness will only provide facts from one angle. Besides, the witness can have a grudge against the victim and accuse him falsely. Hence, an accused must be condemned only on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

Therefore for the Israelites God demanded that a thorough investigation must be carried out to be sure that a crime had indeed been committed by the offender. Justice must be carefully and rigidly administered. Any person accused of wrongdoing, he and his accuser must be brought before the priests and the appointed judges. Any false witness or perjury would repulsively corrupt true justice and must be severely condemned. When the accusation had been proven wrong, the accuser who had done it falsely must be punished in the place of the accused. This was to ensure that no one should exploit the system and get someone into trouble. Bearing false witness had its just dessert.

How do we apply a passage like this? These verses indicate unambiguously that God hates injustice. He does not want a person to be accused and judged wrongly. And He certainly does not want His people to bear false witness. What God desires is truthfulness so that there will be trust among His people. Any accusation of wrong must be accurately appraised by the testimonies of two or three witnesses. Anyone proven to bear false witness must be dealt with so that the community will not be destroyed by deceit. As the community that represents God in the world, every member of the church is a custodian of truth. Hence, we must walk in integrity. Walking in integrity will enable us to walk in the light, as the Apostle John urged us to do in his first letter to the early church. When we walk in the light as God is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. Light will always dispel deceit and falsehood. And truth always brings light to dispel both. So let us walk in the light.      

Deuteronomy 19:14 – Contentment is key to harmonious living

Deuteronomy 19:14 deals with the issue of land allocation. To enable His people to co-exist harmoniously in the promised land, every tribe and family were apportioned their own piece of land. What was allotted to each was a gift from God and they would have absolute right over their apportioned land. Thus, no one had the right to shift the boundary markers of a neighbor’s land. To do so would tantamount to stealing a neighbor’s property and could lead to unnecessary strife.

This instruction might seem like a small thing, but it would go a long way to prevent a person from coveting his neighbor’s goods. In our context as believers of the Lord,  we can see this as a call of God not to eye the gifts or talents of fellow believers. Each of us has been gifted and granted different talents by God. We should seek to do our best to maximize our God-given gifts and talents instead of envying what other believers’ may have. The tenth commandment explicitly demands that no one should covet what belongs to one’s neighbor.

This simple instruction teaches us to focus on what God has given us instead of what God has given to others. This makes perfect sense because when we eye what someone may have, we can become jealous and unhappy with them. Worst still, we can become unhappy with God. Instead of focusing on what others have, we should concentrate on making the best of what we have been given. This can in turn bring the best out of us. Contentment brings about harmonious living. So do not covet our neighbor’s goods!

Deuteronomy 19:1-13 - Be just and fair

In Deuteronomy 19:1-13, God instructed the children of Israel to set aside cities of refuge when they came into the promised land. The establishment of these cities of refuge is because God values life. He has regard for the sanctity of life and would not allow His people to needlessly terminate the life of another person. God first established that the promised land would be a gift to them. In verses 3, 8, and 10 we see the emphasis that the land was His gift to them. God’s desire was for them to live harmoniously as His unique people in the land He was giving them.  

God would be cutting off the inhabitants in the promised land so that Israel could inherit it. And when they had possessed the land, they were instructed to set aside three cities which would be extended to six when the Lord had further enlarged their land. The reason for these cities was for anyone who had accidentally caused the death of another person to seek refuge from his avengers. God wanted those three cities to be conveniently located and not too far apart. He also made sure that the road leading into them would not be needlessly obstructed. God wanted easy accessibility for one who had committed an unpremeditated killing to have easy access.

God wanted to prevent needless bloodshed as well as to get rid of the guilt of those who had killed someone unwittingly. It seemed obvious for the family who had lost a relative to death would want the life of the killer, regardless of whether he was innocent or not. The problem was that in such a state, their ability to distinguish between murder and death caused accidentally would be greatly reduced by their heightened emotion. So the cities would be a person's recourse. He could run to it to escape the vengeance that the dead person’s relative would seek. However, God knew that there was the possibility of abuse. One who was guilty of murder could run to seek refuge in one of the cities of refuge. In such a case the elders of that city would have to deliver the guilty one to the family for appropriate action to be meted out.   

What lessons can we draw from these verses? Firstly, we know that God values life and so must we. We must not place so much importance on ourselves till we have a total disregard for the lives of others. The lives of others are just as important as ours. Deal with each person rightly. Secondly, we know that God is just. He wants us to be like Him - just and fair. We must not judge a person to be guilty without proper facts or verification. Here’s what Paul exhorts us to do in Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;  do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Let’s be fair and just!     

Deuteronomy 18:15-22 – Be careful who we listen to

The reason God would raise a Moses-like prophet for His people was obvious. He wanted them to have constant guidance in their journey with Him.  Hence, they would not have to emulate the pagans of Canaan and indulge in the list of detestable practices delineated in Deuteronomy 18:10-11. God’s intention to raise that prophet among them was clear. He wanted His people to know clearly the direction they should take.

From Deuteronomy 18:15, it is safe to conclude that Moses was not just their leader but also a prophet. According to Numbers 12, God would speak to him mouth to mouth. In other words, Moses would speak exactly as God would say. The words of Moses were the very words of God. Moses recalled for them the scene at Mount Sinai when God first came to speak to the people after their exit from Egypt. They were so frightened by the awesome sight that they asked Moses to be their spokesman. They would rather hear from a middleman than from God Himself.  So instead of God speaking directly to the people, Moses became His mouthpiece.

However, we all know that Moses here was speaking prophetically of Christ Jesus, the ultimate prophet. The letter to the Hebrews in the first two opening verses reveals to us that “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son….” He came among us and spoke in His humanity, but the authority He spoke with was divine. Today Jesus is still God’s final message to the world.

Whatever was true of God, there would always be counterfeit. There would be those who claim to speak for Him presumptuously. They would be those who would speak for profit. There would also be those who would fallaciously speak on behalf of other gods. So God gave them the means to ascertain whether a prophet is true or not. In verse 22, He said, “When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” The test of a true prophet was what he said would certainly come to pass.

We need to be careful when receiving words of prophecy. While there would be a predictive element in the words of a prophet, we know that prophecy today must rest objectively on God’s written Word. Don’t take in log, stock, and barrel a message claimed to be from God without first checking with God’s written Word. The message purported to be from God must tally with God’s Written Word. God’s message will always draw us closer to Him and never away from Him. It may be a rebuke but it will give a sense of peace. The message of God can be foretelling but more often it is forth-telling. It is given to help us walk intimately with God. There is a need for us to be discerning in the message we hear. A wrong message can lead us astray!     

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 – Living blamelessly for God

Knowing that evil influence would be lurking in Canaan,  God set out to alert His people about it in Deuteronomy 18:9-14. The lurking danger came in the form of detestable practices such as making their sons or daughters pass through the fire, divination, witchcraft, fortune-telling, sorcery, casting charms, mediums, wizardry, and necromancy. These were common practices of the pagans living in Canaan. But the children of Israel as God’s covenant people must avoid those detestable things.

The primary reason why the pagan indulged in these detestable practices was that they needed guidance and direction for their lives. They did not know any better but to consult from the dead, evil spirits and magic hailed from the pitch of darkness. What about putting one’s son or daughter through the fire? It was an offering of one’s child to be burnt on the pagans’ alter. This act was to appease the gods and to gain their favor so that guidance would be given.   

God refused to let them prostitute their faith in Him by indulging in the evil and superstitious practices of the pagans. His purpose of having the native of the land driven out was to prevent His people from being influenced by them. He was their covenant God and He would not allow them to give the impression that He was unable to provide the guidance and direction that His people needed. The appointment of the priests, the Levitical ministry, and the giving of the Law by Moses were all given with the intent to provide the instruction and direction on righteous living. In the days to come, God would even provide prophets to point the way. Hence, as His people there was no necessity to seek other sources of guidance. By turning to those detestable practices for direction constituted a breach of trust in the faithful God. He would not allow Himself to be misrepresented. Furthermore to turn to those evil sources was as good as scorning Him and snubbing the instruction that He had adequately provided for godly living.  

What God expected of His people, He now expects of us too. For now, in Christ, we are His blameless people. He wants us to trust and rely on Him alone and be guided by His Word. Besides He has also sent His Holy Spirit to guide and direct us in our journey. He loves us and will also not allow us to turn to occult practices to seek direction for righteous living that He alone can provide. We must live blamelessly for the glory of God!      

Deuteronomy 18:1-8 – The need to support God’s ministers

Although the priests and the Levites were differentiated in the Old Testament, they were all descendants of Levi, one of Israel’s twelve sons. Of the descendants of Levi, only the sons of Aaron were chosen for priestly functions to serve in temple worship. The rest commonly referred to as Levites, were people set apart to assist in the ministry of the Tabernacle. They were responsible for the setting up, dismantling, and transporting of the Tabernacle and its furnishings. All the priests of Israel must be Levites but not all Levites were priests.

Deuteronomy 18:1-8 deals with the support of the priests as well as the Levites. We know that the tribe Levi was set apart to serve God and would not be allotted any portion of the promised land. Hence their support would come from the people. They were the appointed ministers of God. These verses first deal with the provision for the priests. Because they would officiate in sacrifice, they would be given the shoulder, cheek, and stomach of the sacrificed ox or sheep. Besides that, they would also be given the firstfruits offering which would include grains, wine, and oil, as well as the first shearing of sheep. Since the role of the priests had to do with temple worship, they would be located mainly around the tabernacle. Eventually, they would be in the temple in Jerusalem, the place where God would establish His name. The Levites on the other hand were spread throughout the land in cities set apart for them. When a Levite felt led to go to another town and serve where God had chosen, he must be supported like the other Levites there and be treated equally like them.

What can we learn from these verses? Not everyone would be called into a full-time Christian vocation. Those whom God has called to serve Him must devote themselves wholeheartedly to the calling. Besides longing to be where God wants them to be, they must serve Him and His people eagerly and earnestly. Those who are called can trust God and His people to provide for them. And those whom they serve must be willing to be used by God to support and meet their needs. God wants His ministers to be supported by His people.

 

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 – How to reign over life successfully?

God anticipated that at some point, the children of Israel would desire to have a king to rule over them. He anticipated that when they had settled in the land, influenced by the surrounding nations, they would ask for a king to be installed over them. This came to pass in the prophet Samuel’s closing days. In First Samuel 8:15, the elders of Israel came to the aged prophet saying, “…Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” Since it was their desire to have a king over them, God granted their desire but stipulated the conditions. In Deuteronomy 17:15-20, God specified what they should and should not do concerning the installation of a king.

Firstly, the person to be installed as king must be an Israelite, one among them and not a foreigner. Besides, he must be one who was divinely approved. Secondly, this king must not multiply horses, for to do so was to depend on his own strength to govern the people. That could lead him to put the people under bondage to serve him like what their forefathers went through in Egypt. Thirdly, the king whom they would install must not multiply for himself wives or riches. For if he did so, he would be distracted, and his heart might be turned away from God. Notice here the three things God forbade in verses 16-17 had to do with money, sex, and power. To multiply silver and gold had to do with money, to multiply wives had to do with sex and to multiply horses had to do with power. Money, sex and power are still the three potent forces in our lives that can lure us away from God. It behooves us therefore to be careful how we handle these areas of our lives.

Instead of concentrating on matters that could increase money, sex, and power, the would-be king should instead make the instructions of God primary in his life. Verses 18-19 urged him to do three things. Firstly, he was to copy the instructions of God in the presence of the Levitical priests. This probably was to ensure accuracy and that he would not add or subtract from what God had given. Secondly, he was to read it all the days of his life so that he would learn to fear the Lord. Thirdly, he must be careful to observe the instructions of God. Focusing on obeying the instructions of God would keep him humble and he and his children would continue to reign. Again like the potential king, we too must focus on obeying God’s Word. If we want to stay humble and not lord over others, the Word of God must play a major part in our lives. We are told to hide the Word of God in our hearts so that we will not sin against Him.

Many of us will probably never get to be a king to reign over a nation and the lives of others. But we all have to govern and reign over our own life. Interestingly this is what Romans 5:17 instructs us to do. In the J.B. Philips’ translation of the New Testament, this verse reads this way: “For if one man’s offence meant that men should be slaves to death all their lives, it is a far greater thing that through another man, Jesus Christ, men by their acceptance of his more than sufficient grace and righteousness, should live all their lives like kings!” And if we are to reign over our life successfully, we must be watchful not to be enticed by money, sex, and power. We must instead be grounded in God’s Word. We must meditate, read, study, memorize and assimilate the Word of God and make it a part of our daily living. It is even more needful now in our days!

Deuteronomy 17:8-13 – Seek to uphold the truth

Not all the cases that came before an appointed judge were straightforward. There would come times where he might find a case perplexing and difficult to deal with. He was not to act presumptuously.  

Deuteronomy 17:8-9 said the judge could go a higher authority at the place which the Lord God had chosen and refer the case to the presiding Levitical priest. Verse 9 implied that the presiding priest would have other priests he could discuss with before making the final judgment. The verse reads, “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 verdict in the case.”

In coming to the Levitical priest in office, the case was in effect being heard by God, the highest authority. In consultation with the council, the decision the Levitical priest would give would be viewed as God’s decision. The verdict given must be taken seriously, and be strictly adhered to. A person who did not adhere to the verdict was liable to the death sentence. The idea here was to use the case as a deterrent so that evil would not be perpetuated among them.  

God alone is the true guardian of righteousness and justice. In Him, true justice is found. That’s why any perplexing case must be brought to the presiding priest, at the place where God had chosen for the final verdict. This place where true justice could be found also points us to the need for ministers to be righteous upholders of truth. They must do their utmost best to expound and enforce the instructions of God. Any refusal to adhere to God’s prescribed ruling is tantamount to rebelliousness. Such a presumptuous sin should not be tolerated. As people of God, we must be defenders of the truth by upholding it faithfully. We are representatives of God!

Deuteronomy 17:2-7 – The importance of integrity

In Deuteronomy 16:18-20, we learned that God’s instruction was for appointed judges to be fair. They were told not to distort justice. They must be impartial and must not take bribes. And in dealing with the waywardness of His people, God’s primary concern was their tendency to emulate the pagans. Knowing the potential for His people to be easily influenced, He forbade them from copying the pagans. They were disallowed to build shrines at the place where they would worship God. Then in Deuteronomy 17:1, they were told to only offer God unblemished worship. Here in Deuteronomy 17:2-7, God continued in His instructions to the appointed judges on how to deal with people who had violated the commandments to be faithful to Him by loving, honoring, and serving Him only.

As God’s covenant people, to deflect to worship other gods or the sun, moon or stars would be gross misconduct. To do so would transgress the covenant and commit a grievous evil in the sight of God. It would constitute spiritual treason against God, the highest authority. Death would be the only appropriate punishment for one caught in such an evil act. However, before a person who had been accused of such an act was sentenced to death, the appointed judge must ascertain that the evil had indeed been committed. Any accusation of such an act must be thoroughly investigated. And the execution should only be carried out when this “spiritual treason” was confirmed by two or three witnesses. No one must be put to death on the evidence of only one witness.  To further ensure that the crime had indeed been committed, the informant would be the one to cast the first stone after the crime had been ascertained.  

Two reasons why such sin had to be dealt with so seriously. Firstly, it was an assault on God. Such an act would constitute a violation of one’s covenant with God. It would destroy the call to purity and faithfulness of worship. Idolatry would destroy the witness of the community. Secondly, it would be a corrupting influence on the moral fabric of the whole community. The moral sensibility of the community would be diminished by such an act.

What principle can we glean from these verses? God views relationships with Him seriously. Any act of unfaithfulness to God should not be tolerated. It must be dealt with so that the fellowship would not be negatively influenced. When dealing with an issue, hearsay is not enough. A thorough investigation must be carried out. A person should only be confirmed guilty at the substantiations of two or three witnesses. Only when the offense can be proven beyond doubt that the accused will be punished. Reliability is important to God. Hence, we must be people of integrity because we are the people of a faithful God.            

      

Deuteronomy 17:1 – An acceptable sacrifice

Since God was central to the life of the people of Israel, how each person honored Him would be of great importance. So in Deuteronomy 17:1, He specified that an ox or a sheep to be sacrificed to Him must be without blemish or defect. To offer a defective sacrifice to Him would be detestable.  

In the Old Testament days, if they wanted to offer to God, they would come with an unblemished animal to Him. What eventually would be offered on the altar of sacrifice would be the carcass of a dead animal. As Christians, Paul tells us in Romans 12:1 that when we come to offer to God, we no longer come with an animal. We offer to Him our lives as a living sacrifice. To offer to Him our life is the only reasonable act of worship in the light of all that He had done for us in Christ Jesus.

Notice that the sacrifice God wanted of His people was an unblemished ox or lamb. Similarly, He wants us to give to Him our lives as a living sacrifice. We must offer to Him an unblemished life. What does it mean to give to God an unblemished life? It is one that is cleansed by the blood of Christ and totally yielded to serve Him. It is offering a life actively pursuing His will and wholly consecrated to serve His purpose. It is a life offered in faith and set to obey His Word. It is living a life of wholehearted devotion to Him alone. Anything short of this is not worthy for Him!      

Deuteronomy 16:21-22 – Be wholly devoted to God

God was central to the life of Israel. Worshipping and serving Him alone was paramount. Hence, in Deuteronomy 16:21-17:7, God demanded that they must not pivot to serve other gods. He would not allow them to mix their worship. The people of Israel were told not to associate worshipping pagan idols with worshipping Him.

In the last two verses of Deuteronomy 16, God dealt with the Asherah poles. What was an Asherah pole? It was a pole which could even be just a tree, that the pagans in Canaan would set up as a sacred monument to venerate the goddess Asherah. These poles had been objects that had often caused the Israelites to stray from God to pander after pagan deities. That alone was a good reason why God would not allow His people to have anything to do with Asherah poles. They must never set up such shrines like the pagans. Why? Because God hates it.

From these two verses is a call on us to put our faith and trust in God alone. We must not make the worship of God syncretistic by mixing different unchristian practices in our belief. To do so would make us unequally yoked with something unholy. Like the people of Israel, who were warned not to build Asherah poles, we must be careful not to adopt the practices of heretical teachings in our faith. They have the potential to cause us to make other things central in our lives instead of Christ. Never allow any aberrant teaching to influence us from being wholly devoted to the Lord. Let us set our hearts to honor Him alone for He alone deserves our wholehearted devotion. Don’t be sidestepped by seemingly good but false teachings!

 

  

 

 

Deuteronomy 16:18-20 – A just government to ensue orderly living

For Israel to become an orderly society when they entered the promised land, there must be people appointed to ensure orderliness. The instructions given in Deuteronomy 16:18-20 were for people with integrity to be appointed and given authority to judge, maintain order, settle disputes, and deal with offenders. Right and appropriate people must be selected to administer justice righteously. To ensure fairness, God stipulated three things such appointed officers must not do. Firstly, they must not distort justice. Secondly, they must not be partial, and thirdly, they must not take a bribe. They must only do the right thing.    

Emphatically, God wants justice to be evident. Verse 20 explicitly instructed that the officials appointed must pursue justice and justice alone. Why is justice so important? When the right people are appointed into positions to administer justice, the people can exist peacefully. All unjust burdens will be removed, and peace and progress ensured. Society can then find security because lawbreakers will be brought to task and all disorderliness justly dealt with. This in turn will ensure that each person’s inheritance will be protected. How can a society be orderly when crimes are left unchecked, and offenders left to run riot rampantly and not fairly dealt with?

When we think of fairness in society, we think of people who are elected to govern our nation. A relevant question to ask is why do we need people in authority to be fair and just? The answer is obvious. If people who are not fair and just are placed in authority, there will be social injustice and people will live with the spirit of discontent. So the Apostle Paul urged in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 saying, “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” We must pray for all who is in authority so that we will have a peaceful and just society.     

Deuteronomy 16:13-17 – Lessons from the Feast of Tabernacle

Deuteronomy 16:13-15 describe the third feast to be celebrated in the place that God had chosen to establish His name. This Feast of Booth, “Sukkot”, was also referred to as the Feast of Tabernacle. For this feast, Leviticus 23:40 said, “Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.” It became a practice later that during the Feast of Tabernacle the Jews would build temporary tents or tabernacles with palm leaves on their rooftops to celebrate this occasion for seven days. In Exodus 23:16, this feast was also referred to as the Feast of the Ingathering.

Like the Feast of Weeks, this feast was also to be a joyful celebration. Again the participants would include one’s family members, sons, daughters, servants, and maids, as well as the Levite, the orphans, and widows among them. For seven days this feast would be celebrated. It was a thanksgiving feast to commemorate the goodness of God, the one who had blessed them with the harvest.

In verses 16-17, God again reminded them the three feasts must be celebrated every year at the place where He had chosen to establish His name. Every male was expected to make this pilgrimage three times a year. So we see why the Jews would go up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacle.  

In this Feast of Booth or Tabernacle, we cannot escape the call to live a joyful life of faith and obedience. Once again, we see in this feast the call to celebrate the goodness of God. Like the Feast of Weeks, here God also wants us to have a heart for the orphans and the widows. They represent the needy people whom we should help if we can. The three feasts point us to the Christian journey. We need to know that earth is our temporary dwelling. Our destination is to be with God. While we journey toward our destination, our goal is to cultivate a life of faith and obedience leading to Christlikeness. As we journey, we must also take care of the needy and not leave them out. Let us live joyfully, obediently, and faithfully for God!      

Deuteronomy 16:9-12 – The Feast of Weeks applied in Christian living

Other terms used in the Bible for the Feast of Weeks or “Shavuot” include the First Fruits, the Feast of Harvest, or the Feast of Pentecost. The term “Pentecost” in Greek means fifty. The Feast of Pentecost derived from this term would be celebrated fifty days after the Passover. This joyful celebration was in response to God’s goodness in the harvest they had received. It was to be an expression of gratitude for God's blessing. A freewill offering in proportion to the harvest would be brought in joyful celebration before the Lord. The participants of this celebration would include one’s family members plus one’s servants and maids. It would also include the Levites, the orphans, and widows in their midst. This feast would be a celebration in the place where God had established His name.  

The celebration of this feast was also an act of faith on the part of the people of Israel. In giving to God the first fruits of their harvest, they affirmed their faith that God would bless them with a full harvest. This Feast of First Fruits was given in anticipation of a greater harvest to come. Adopting the joyful spirit accompanying this celebration, the New Testament encourages us to give cheerfully, generously, and willingly to the Lord. One question that believers frequently ask is, “did the New Testament teach about tithing?” To be honest, tithing is only inferred in the New Testament but giving cheerfully, generously, and willingly are clearly taught. And this giving was certainly more than one-tenth of what one earns. The heartening truth is this: God loves a cheerful, generous, and willing giver. This sort of giving, like the offering of the first fruits, reminds us of how God has so graciously redeemed us and so generously blessed us.   

The Feast of Weeks has to do with the harvest. It is a term that the New Testament uses to talk about drawing souls into the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells us that the field of the world is already white for the harvest. We are the harvesters that God has called and sent into the field to do the harvesting. In this regard, the souls that result from the Apostle Peter’s preaching on the day of Pentecost were telling. Acts 2:41 tells us that in that one day, 3,000 souls were added to the Kingdom of God. Interestingly for harvest to be plentiful, not only is the former rain needed but the latter rain will also be needed. In the Bible, rain and water have been used to typify the Holy Spirit. Hence it is no co-incidence that the Holy Spirit fell in great measure upon the then early church for the bountiful harvest.                   

Three lessons to be drawn from the Feast of Weeks. Firstly, it is about giving cheerfully, generously, and willingly to the work of the Lord. God is no man’s debtor. He will not short-change us. God will bless us with whatever we have invested into the Kingdom. Secondly, it is about working with the Holy Spirit whom God has sent to accompany us in the journey. He comes to enable us in the work of gathering souls for the Kingdom. Are we actively relying on Him in harvesting souls for the Kingdom?  Thirdly, the Feast of Weeks is about faith and trust in God for the future. It is about offering to God what we have now and believing that He will take care of all our tomorrows. Many things about tomorrow we do not understand. But when we surrender our lives to Him, we are trusting our lives to Him who has all our future covered. He will never fail us!

Deuteronomy 16:1-8 - The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread

In the life of the children of Israel, three feasts were of special significance to them. They were the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover), the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast of Booths (Tabernacle). These three feasts would be celebrated at the place where God had appointed to make His name known. We know that Jerusalem, the city of God, was the place. That’s the reason the Jews in the New Testament would gather in Jerusalem three times a year to celebrate these feasts.

In Deuteronomy 16:1-8, are instructions on the celebration of the Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. This feast was instituted to commemorate the night that the Angel of death from God passed over the home of the Israelites and spare their firstborns. They were spared because of the blood of a sacrificial lamb, applied on the doorposts of their houses. God had instructed that each household to slaughter a lamb and have its blood applied on the doorposts of their house. When the angel of death saw the applied blood, it would pass over the house, thus sparing their firstborns. The firstborns of all the Egyptians were not spared because they did not have the blood applied on the doorposts of their houses. God did it to deliver the people of Israel from their bondage in Egypt. The Passover was to remind them of their deliverance.

The Passover, followed by the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, was to be celebrated on the month of Abib, the first month of the religious year in the Jewish calendar. It was to be commemorated on the 14th Day. A lamb was to be offered and its flesh be eaten and not kept till the next day. This would be followed by the weeklong celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. During these seven days, only unleavened bread was to be eaten.

Why were they told to celebrate the Passover? To help them relive the night they escaped from Egypt. God wanted this act to be a shared memory. This was to let the future generations know that it was God who had saved them. The whole Passover with the Unleavened Bread paint for us a picture of the process of salvation. Being saved is just the first step, we need to be sanctified after the initial act so that we can begin to live a life increasingly free from the grasps of sin.  

What about the Feast of Unleavened Bread? From Exodus 12, we are told that in this weeklong celebration, God specifically told them to remove any yeast in their midst. Even the loaves of bread were to be baked without yeast. The reason why the Israelites were told to eat yeast-free bread was that they had to leave Egypt in haste and there simply wasn’t enough time for any yeast to rise. The instruction for the Unleavened Bread was for all yeast to be removed. Yeast has been a symbol of the corrupting nature of sin. And sin has a devastating consequence in one’s life. Its effect lingers longer than we want it to linger. It makes us pay more than we are willing to pay. And it stays longer than we are willing to let it stay. God wants them removed from our lives. The people of Israel had left Egypt but the mentality of Egypt, unfortunately, did not leave them for a long time. There must be a process of removing the sinful mentality. The Feast of the Unleavened Bread served to remind them that they must seek to live a sin-free life.

We know in life we need to constantly deal with our fallen nature. We need to submit ourselves to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. At conversion, we are saved from the penalty of sin. Now progressively in the process of sanctification, the Holy Spirit assists us to be increasingly free from the power of sin. Ultimately, we will be saved from the presence of sin when we reach our eternal destination and experience our glorification. God saved us at our conversion and now He is sanctifying us in our Christian journey. What a marvelous God! 

Deuteronomy 15:19-22 – Offering God only our very best

In earlier verses of Deuteronomy 15, God instructed them to cultivate generosity, considering the goodness He had shown to them. God not only wanted them to be generous but they must also dedicate all their firstborns of men and beasts to Him. This call to dedicate the firstborns of men and beasts to Him was not new. In fact in Exodus 13, God already instructed Moses to have the people of Israel consecrate all the firstborns of men and livestock to Him. The reason for the instruction was because God spared all the firstborns of Israel when He took all the firstborns of Egypt at that first Passover. He did it so that Pharoah would let His people go. Consequently, He commanded that all the firstborns of the people of Israel, both men and beasts to be consecrated to Him.

In this passage in Deuteronomy 15:22-29, God once again touched on the consecration of the firstborns of their men and livestock. The purpose was probably to introduce the discussion on the observation of the Passover in Deuteronomy 16. At the foundation of God’s instruction was the whole issue of faith and trust in Him. Just as it required faith to live a generous life, faith would also be required to devote the firstborns of their livestock to God. It meant that they had to trust Him that their livestock would produce more after they had offered their firstborns to Him. It is always easy to give to God out of what we have. But it is not as easy to give to Him the very first blessing we have received and trust Him to give us more following it.

For an Israelite, the firstborns of the animals consecrated to God could not be used for their work. The temptation would be to use the firstborn of their bull to work in the field or shear the wool of their firstborn sheep before they were offered in sacrifice to the Lord. There could be a duration before they could go to the place of worship to offer their firstborn animal to the Lord. So while waiting some might be lured to use the animal first. As far as God was concerned, this must not happen. For God, nothing but the best would do. So in verse 21, we see another stipulation. Any firstborn of the flock or herd with blemish should never be offered to the Lord. They could be eaten in the town and not to be taken to the place of worship. But when eating their meat, as instructed earlier, no blood could be eaten.   

As we consider this passage, we cannot run away from the call to present to God our very best. Giving to God the best means giving to Him our entire life in total surrender. It means also giving the first and best of everything we have, the first fruits of all that we have. Have we given to God the first part of our day, our time, talents, and treasures? In 2 Timothy 2:15 Paul tells us to do our best to be diligent to present ourselves approved to God. He is worthy to receive them all!

Deuteronomy 15:12-18 – To be a bondslave of the Lord

Deuteronomy 15:12-18 described how the law of the release of the Sabbath year was to be applied to a person who sold himself or herself as a slave to a relative. Because of poverty and poor circumstances, an Israelite might have to sell his or her service to a fellow Israelite to see himself or herself through the hard times. The Law of the Sabbath release stipulated that he or she must be discharged of the obligation on the seventh year.  

For the release, a master must not set the slave or maid away empty-handed. He must discharge that person by providing him or her amply from his flock, flour from his produce, and wine from his vat. He must give generously according to all the blessings he had received from God through that slave or maid. He must give generously because in ordinary circumstances to hire a slave or a maid would have cost him much more. Besides, this stipulation was also a reminder to the Israelites that they were once slaves to Pharoah, and it was the Lord who had redeemed them from their bondage. Hence to do so was to emulate the grace and mercy of God.    

In verse 16, God knew that there would be a situation where a slave or maid had no desire to leave. That person had come to love the master and his household and wished to remain to serve the master. In such a situation, that slave’s ear would be pierced with an awl into the door. This was a sign that the slave or maid had chosen to serve the master on his or her own accord. The person would become a bondslave. He or she had chosen the master by a personal and deliberate choice.

In Christ Jesus, we have been redeemed from the bondage to sin. In gratitude, we now choose willingly, personally, and deliberately to serve Him for the rest of our lives. The Christlikeness we allow Him to develop in us is like the awl-pierced ear of the bondslave. That must be the sign that we belong to Him. Our lives must reflect His character. We must choose to give up our rights to ourselves so that we can serve Him wholeheartedly. Unconditional love is the right response to our gracious Lord!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 15:7-11 – Cultivating a generous spirit

In instructing that all debts be discharged every Sabbath year, God was teaching His people generosity. Obeying this command would go toward building a caring community. But knowing the tendency of fallen man, God anticipated that there would be some who would harden their hearts and not lend a hand to help their brethren. So here in Deuteronomy 15:7-8, God warned the children of Israel against such hardheartedness. He told them specifically not to deny a poor man among them of supply but instead freely offer him so that he would lack nothing in living. 

In verse 9, God also anticipated that some would be calculative. Seeing that the Sabbath year was approaching, and they would be obligated to discharge their debtors, they would then resort to acting heartlessly toward them. God would not allow heartlessness among His people. He wanted them to remain compassionate, generous, and concerned even in such a situation. So verses 10-11 prescribed what they must do. He wanted them to have an ungrudging heart, an open and generous hand, and a sympathetic eye. With such a heart, hand, and eye. they would not resent the poor but would help them willingly instead.

In these verses, we see reasons why God’s people should be generous. Firstly, what they had were all given by the Lord. Secondly, God would bless them when they generously helped the poor. Thirdly, there would not be a time when no needy people would be among them. That alone necessitated the cultivation of a generous spirit. Fourthly, verse 9 suggests that hardening one’s heart towards the needy would become a sin when one could help but would not. 

God wants us to be compassionate people. We must not close our hearts, clench our fists, and shut our eyes toward the needy. In Galatians 6:10, we are urged to do good to all people, especially to those who are of the household of the faith, while we have the opportunity. We also know that when we refresh others, we ourselves will be refreshed. Being generous reflects best our generous God. Let us cultivate a spirit of generosity, especially toward the needy among us! But this does not mean that we must be gullible and be taken in by every cry for help. We must be willing to help but be careful not to be taken in by people who want to take advantage of us. Be helpful but be prudent!