Deuteronomy 23:1-8 – On pure worship and right attitude

As the covenant people of God, the children of Israel were a consecrated people. Holiness and purity must be the hallmarks of their lives. Hence, how they conducted their lives was important. In their conduct, they could either enhance their position as God’s unique people or they could lose their uniqueness and demonstrate characters like one of those heathen people. In the book of Deuteronomy, we saw how God wanted their lives to be well regulated. From worship and religious practices to how they should relate as family and neighbors, God gave instructions on how they should go about it.

Deuteronomy 23:1-8 deals with religious assembly. In these verses, God identified for the people of Israel the different groups of people whom they should exclude from their assembly. The first group was those with mutilated sex organs. Apparently, mutilating one’s body was a ritual the heathen would practice in their worship. God would want nothing to do with this. The second group of people forbade to enter the assembly were illegitimate children. These were probably children born out of sexual relationships with temple prostitutes. Having sexual relations with temple prostitutes was another ritual the heathen practice in their worship. Hence God would not allow these illegitimate children among His people in worship. The phrase “even to the tenth generation” in verse 3 suggests that these groups were permanently barred from the assembly.

The third group of people comprised the Ammonites and the Moabites. They were those who would not lift a finger to help His people when they came out of Egypt and made their journey into their promised land. The Moabites went even further to engage the service of Balaam to invoke a curse on them. Each of these groups had a history that meant ill for God’s people. Hence God would not allow them as part of their assembly. Verse 6 reveals that God would not even allow them to have a peace treaty with the Ammonites and Moabites. In verses 7-8, God however told them not to detest the Edomites and the Egyptians. For the Edomites were the children of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. As for the Egyptians, though they had placed them in bondage, they nonetheless had played host to them in Egypt. Furthermore, many Egyptians gave them jewelry the night they left Egypt.   

What can we learn from these verses? The first lesson we learn is from the exclusion from their assembly of those with mutilated sex organs and those born out of illegitimate relationships. God expects pure worship. He will not allow any hint of syncretism when we gather to worship and honor Him. The second lesson is from the exclusion of the Ammonites and Moabites. These two groups had treated God’s people abhorrently. They would not lend them a helping hand when they needed it. The Moabites even went further to solicit Balaam’s service to curse them. Here we learn that vengeance belongs to the Lord, and He does take note of those who gloat over our misfortune and plot our failure. As His people, we are ever under His protection. The third lesson we learn is from how God wanted them not to detest the Edomites and the Egyptians. In how God wanted these two groups to be accepted by His people, we learn that God values gratitude. Between the ill-treatment and good things people have done to us, remember the latter. Recall the good things they have done rather than their ill-treatment. Remember that God is holy and righteous. Therefore we must live worthily for Him in worship and in attitude!