Chapter 24
Divorce-
- a legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body.
- a separation between things that were or ought to be connected.
Divorce is such an ugly thing. Sadly divorce was a common practice even back during the days of Moses. These first four verses of chapter 24 gives restrictions to prevent casual separation and remarriage. Divorce is a permanent and final act for a couple. While these verses may give permission to divorce under certain circumstances the Lord never commands divorce. While you may have the right to do something like divorce your spouse, it does not mean you should or that it is the best thing to do.
On to a happier note, verse five is the newlywed verse. I love this verse because I think it is very important to take care of your marriage. The first year can be so challenging and critical. To become one flesh is not as easy as moving in with each other. God intended marriage for so much more.
Moving along through chapter 24 I had a thought pertaining to taking care of the poor. God instructed the people to leave some of the harvest for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows. Verse 19 talks about overlooking a sheaf and then purposely not going back to get it so it may provide for the poor and needy. This may be a stretch but my thought was, how many of us would feel we wasted something by leaving grapes on the vine or maybe we feel like we need to be in control of all the harvest and determine who is worthy of the grapes. God is in control and He is the one who provides.
Chapter 25
Verses 1-3 gives us three important points in the punishment of someone found guilty. Punishment should be quick after the offense. The punishment should fit the crime and do not over do the punishment. Then in verse four, such a simple verse, there is so much to learn. This verse is actually quoted twice in the New Testament referring to paying a worker what he deserves. To muzzle an ox while treading out the grain means the ox can not eat any of the grain as it works. God wants us to enjoy the fruit of our labor.
The next order of business in chapter 25 is the law that a widow’s brother-in-law is to marry her and carry on his dead brother’s name and inheritance. If he did not want to marry her then apparently his family would be shamed publicly.
Chapter 25 also gives us the command to do honest business. You should use accurate weights and measures when selling and buying from others. This is what the Lord wants. He detests dishonesty.
Chapter 26
In this passage Moses gives specific instructions for giving thanks to the Lord for the first crops in the Promised Land. After settling in the land, they were to take the firstfruits of all the produce, put it in a basket and take it to the priest that is in office. Then there shall be a specific ceremony performed to show thanks to the Lord. Then every third year is the Year of the Tithe. The Israelites are to set aside a tenth of all their produce, to go to the Levites, and the aliens, fatherless, and widows. Then the end of chapter 26 is one more reminder to the Israelites to obey the Lord and He will take care of them.
Chapter 27
Once the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land, they were to get large stones, cover them with plaster and write all the law on them. They were to build an altar at Mount Ebal and offer offerings to the Lord and rejoice in the presence of the Lord your God.
Moses then created two groups of people to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. On Mount Gerizim to bless the people would be Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. On Mount Ebal to pronounce curses would be Rueben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. After Moses sets up these two groups, he has the Levites recite a number of curses to the Israelites. He reminds the people of His commands. If you follow the laws, you’ll be blessed, and if you don’t, you’ll be cursed.
It is interesting to read through these verses and again we are reminded where our sense of "fairness" comes from.
ReplyDeleteThat said, there are a few that leave me scratching my head such as -
Deut 25:11-12 When two men are in a fight and the wife of the one man, trying to rescue her husband, grabs the genitals of the man hitting him, you are to cut off her hand. Show no pity.
And I wonder, did this really happen often enough to be included in this list?
Note on comment above: Matthew Henry and other commentators seemed to believe that these verses dealt more with the immodest behavior of such a woman as this, who would intrude on such a disagreement and handle it in this manner. See more here: http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/deuteronomy/25.html
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I share your moment of "scratching the head" on many verses. It causes us to dig further for answers! :) We talked this morning in Bible Study about reading verses and stories in the Bible through the lenses of the TRUTH that we know about God, and that is that He alone is the standard for JUSTICE. He will one day "right all wrongs" and there won't be a jury.
I had to reread some of the verses in these chapters to make sure I read them right. A lot of rules and laws to digest in one reading session. But, again the verses had a purpose of being obedient to God's command. I like the way the last chapter was very blunt and matter of fact about obedience to the laws. obedience=blessing and disobedience=curse Very simple to understand. We have a choice to be obedient or not. I hope I spend more time being obedient to God's commands.
ReplyDeleteI think God invented the K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) principle...then we come along and make it the K.I.C.S (keep it complicated stupid) principle! Remember - NONE of these complicated laws would have been necessary if WE had never sinned! UGH!!!!
ReplyDelete