Deuteronomy 23:9

Deuteronomy 23:9 says, When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.  Moses said that when the people of God went to war with the people around them that God expected them to refrain from any wicked thing, and He expects the same from us today as followers of Christ.  Verse ten adds, If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp:  Any soldier who was not clean spiritually was to remain outside the camp.   Even though this not being clean may have manifested itself from physical actions, it still concerned a spiritual state.  Verse eleven continues, But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again.  One who was unclean was to wash himself and after the sun set, he could return to camp.  We today who are followers of Christ are washed clean forever by the shed blood of Christ, but if we commit sin again, we must confess it and be made clean once more.  Verse twelve states, Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:  They were to have a place outside the camp when they were traveling for war to use the bathroom.  Verse thirteen adds, And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:  They were to dig a hole to use as we use a commode and then were to cover the hole afterwards.  Matthew Henry said this was to distinguish them from animals and to promote cleanliness.  We still need to do our best to live clean lives physically as well as spiritually,  especially if not doing so could affect others.  Verse fourteen continues, For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.  Moses said that they were to do this because God walked in the midst of them and was going to deliver them from their enemies in battle, therefore they needed no unclean thing in their camp.  As Christians, God walks with us wherever we go, and we need to do our best to make sure that there is no unclean thing in our life.  Verse fifteen says, Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:  Moses said that if a servant escaped from his master and came to them for sanctuary that they were not to return him to his master.  Matthew Henry says this applied to servants from other countries.  We today as Christians should do our best to give sanctuary to those who have escaped oppressive rulers in other countries.  Verse sixteen adds, He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.  Moses then said that this escaped servant was to live within their cities in the city that he liked the best.  They were not to just put him where they chose.  We should do our best to make those who come to us today from these oppressive countries to feel at home, but we should also never compromise our relationship to God to do so.

Deuteronomy 23:1

Deuteronomy 23:1 says, He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD.  Eunuchs unable were forbidden to enter in to the congregation of the LORD.  Matthew Henry says that there are different understandings of what this actually means.  Some think it meant they were not to communicate with the congregation of Israel in worship service, some think it meant they were not to serve in any official role, and others think it meant marry an Israelite woman.  We can say today that God never approved anything that would in any way change the sexuality of a person.  Verse two adds, A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.  Moses said a bastard would have these same limitations for ten generations.  Matthew Henry said this did not mean any child born outside of a marriage, but ones born of an incestuous relationship, and though it wasn't the child's fault, the harsh penalty was to discourage these relationships.  Verse three adds, An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:  Verse four continues, Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.  Moses said that an Ammonite was forbidden to enter the congregation of Israel for not just the tenth generation, but forever, because they would not help the people of Israel when they left Egypt, but hired Balaam to attempt to curse them.  Verse five concludes, Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.  Moses said that instead of Balaam being able to curse the people of God,  God turned it into a blessing for them.  God will never take lightly the actions of those who attempt to stand against His people, but He does not exclude any who put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord from becoming a part of His kingdom, no matter who they are.  Verse six states, Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.  Moses said that this would apply to these people forever, but as just stated, Jesus Christ made it possible for all people to come into the kingdom of God by putting their faith in Him. Verse seven adds, Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land.  Moses said they were not to abhor the Edomite, because he was their brother, nor the Egyptians, because they had once offered the people of Israel sanctuary during the drought.  Verse eight continues, The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation.  These two groups were only forbidden to enter the congregation for three generations.  I am certainly glad that Jesus Christ removed all these restrictions when He died for all our sins for all time.  

Deuteronomy 22:12

Deuteronomy 22:12 says, Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.  Moses said that the people of Israel were to put fringes on the four sides of their clothes that covered them.  This would distinguish them from other people by sight.  We as followers of Christ have nothing like this to distinguish us from other people, but our words and actions should.  Verse thirteen states, If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her,  These next few verses deal with a man who marries a woman and then decides he hates her.  This happens too often today in the world, but it shouldn't happen in the marriage of Christians, though it still does.  If it does, we have taken God out of the center of the marriage or He was never there to start with. Verse fourteen adds, And give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid:  Moses said that if the man then said that the woman wasn't a virgin when they got married, which would bring dishonor to her, there were certain rules that would apply.  We should never disparage the name of a spouse unjustly just because we no longer want to be married to them.  Verse fifteen continues, Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel’s virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate:  Moses said that in this situation, the father and mother were to bring tokens of the girls virginity to the elders at the gate.  What this evidence was, we don't know, and there is no such evidence today, but evidently there was then, and it was to be presented at the gate, or where public hearings were held.  Verse sixteen says, And the damsel’s father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her;  The father was to tell the elders that he gave the girl to the man to be his wife, and then the man hated her.  Fathers should still be willing to stand up for their daughters, even if they are married.  Verse seventeen adds, And, lo, he hath given occasions of speech against her, saying, I found not thy daughter a maid; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter’s virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city.  Moses said that the father was to tell the elders that the man had spread lies about his daughter not being a virgin when they married, and was then to lay the tokens of her virginity before the elders.  As stated before,  I don't know what these tokens were, nor did Matthew Henry or other Biblical scholars before him.  Verse eighteen continues, And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him;  The elders were to take the man and chastise him if the father proved the girl was a virgin when she married him.  I am not sure if life would be simpler or more complicated if we could do the same today.  Verse nineteen concludes, And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.  They were then to fine the man and give the money to her father, because the husband would have brought dishonor to a damsel of Israel.  Also, the man would be prohibited from ever divorcing the woman.  We should never bring dishonor to any Christian by lying about them.  Verse twenty states, But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel:  Verse twenty-one adds, Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you. Then, there was the proscribed penalty if the father could not produce proof of her virginity at the time of her marriage, and that was that she was to be stoned to death by the men of the city, because she wouldchave brought dishonor to Israel.  Moses said this was to be done to put evil away from among the people of Israel.  We should do all that we can to put evil away from the church today, but we also need to realize that if we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord that we are forgiven of all our sins, and we are to forgive others as He forgives us.  Verse twenty-two says, If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.  Moses said if a man was guilty of committing adultery with a married woman, or causing her to commit adultery at least, that they were both to be put to death.  God takes marriage very seriously, and so should we.

Deuteronomy 22:1

Deuteronomy 22:1 says, Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother.  Moses said that the people of Israel were not to hide if they saw there brother’s ox or sheep go astray, but were to return it to him.  We should always be willingly to help others if they are in need, whether they are fellow Christians or not, and should never just turn our backs on them.  Verse two says,  And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again.  Moses then said that if their brother wasn't close or if they didn't know him, they were to take the animal home and care for it until their brother, which would be any Israelite, called for it.  This is what I stated earlier.  Verse three continues, In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with all lost thing of thy brother’s, which he hath lost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself.  Moses then expanded this law to apply to anything that someone last. They could not attempt to keep it for themselves, and neither can we today as Christians.  Verse four concludes, Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.  Moses then said if a man saw his brothers ass or ox fall down by the way, that the man was not to hide but was to help his brother get the animal up again.  If we, as followers of Christ see someone in trouble today, instead of passing by or trying to hide away, we need to stop and help them.  Verse five state's, The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.  Moses said that men and women should not wear clothing of the opposite sex, because it was an abomination to the LORD.  We do not have as defined men and women's clothing today, but some things are identified as belonging to one gender or the other, and I believe there are some clothing items that will always be identified as belonging to only one gender.  Verse six says, If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:  Moses said that if a bird was nesting that the people of Israel were not to disturb either, and this is still a good law today.  Verse seven adds, But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.  Moses said that they were to let the mother bird go and take care of the young so that it might go well with them.  We as Christians are to do our best to take care of the earth, since that is part of our God given purpose.  Verse eight states, When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.  Moses said if they built a new house they were to put a fence around the roof so that no one could accidentally fall from it.  We today should do all within our ability to make our house a safe place for others when they visit us.  Verse nine adds, Thou shalt  not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy  seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard,  be defiled.  Moses said they were not to sow diverse seed in their vineyards lest their vineyards be defiled.  We likewise need to not allow unGodly thoughts and actions into our lives lest our relationship with God be defiled.  Verse ten says, Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.  Moses said they weren't to attempt to pair an ox and an ass together, because they could not work at the same speed and power.  Verse eleven adds Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.  This was another example that Moses gave for not trying to pair things that were different together.  We as Christians should not try to pair ourselves with non Christians either.

Deuteronomy 21:10

Deuteronomy 21:10 says, When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,  This statement by Moses assumes two things.  One, the people of Israel would go forth in war, and two that by their faith in God that they would be victorious.  If we want to be victorious in the world today by our faith in God, we must be willing to go forth in war against the forces of evil in the world.  Of course, in this case we must rely on God to direct our actions.  Verse eleven adds, And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;  Moses then told them that they might see a beautiful woman among the captives and desire her.  Whether it is a beautiful woman or anything else, while we are in a battle against evil in the world, something may catch our attention as something that we desire.  Verse twelve adds, Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;  Moses didn't deny them the fight to give in to their desire, but told them they should bring the woman to their house, but then he listed requirements before the man could marry her.  Though God may allow us to have certain things of the world that we desire, He will also likely put requirements on us to keep us from being led away from Him.  Verse thirteen continues, And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.  The woman was to put off the raiment of her captivity and be given a month's time to mourn the loss of her parents, and then the man could marry her.  Verse fourteen concludes, And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.  Moses said that if the man then decided he didn't want to be married to her, he could let her go, but he wasn't to sell her, though she had been a captive, nor was he to attempt to trade her for merchandise.  God was looking out for the woman, who had nothing to say about her situation.  I don't believe that God ever expects us to use nor try to benefit materially from our treatment of the lost people of the world today.  Verse fifteen states, If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated:  Moses then gives the rules for a man having two wives, which was never God's intention.  Just as the people of Israel too often failed to follow God's law for marriage, so do we today.  Moses said that if the man loved one wife and hated, or didn't love, the other, and the one that he loved the least gave birth to his first born son, that there were rules of inheritance then applied.  If we go against God's law in a particular situation, that does not void any other law of God.  Verse sixteen adds, Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn:  Moses said that the man could not make the firstborn son of the wife that the man loved the most the one to inherit if the wife he loved the least had already given birth toa son.  Verse seventeen continues, But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.  Moses said that the man was to give his firstborn son who was born of the wife he loved the least his rightful birthright.  Again, breaking one of God's laws does not negate any of His other laws.  This situation could have been avoided if the man had not had more than one wife.

Deuteronomy 21:1

Deuteronomy 21:1 says, If one be found slain in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him:  Moses talked about the situation of a man who no one knew being found slain in a field.  Verse two adds, Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:  Moses said in this situation that the elders and judges were to come forth and measure the distance to the cities which were near the person who was slain.  It would be assumed that he had to have been in one of the cities shortly before he was slain.  Though they might not have known who, someone was responsible for the man's death.  Verse three continues, And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke;  Moses then said that the elders of the city closest to the slain man were to take a young heifer that had that had never worked.  Verse four states, And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer’s neck there in the valley:  The elders were to take the heifer into a valley that wasn't cultivated and slay it for a sacrifice for the sin of slaying the man, even if they weren't responsible or didn't know who was.  Jesus Christ is the sacrifice for our sins, even before we commit them and even if no one else knows about them.  Verse five adds, And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:  Moses next said the priests and Levites who represent God were to come near to bless the people of the city and then every one would be freed from the responsibility of the death.  We as Christians will never be held responsible for the sins of others, but no one else can bring us forgiveness of our sins either, except Jesus Christ.  Verse six continues, And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:  Moses said that the elders from that city were to wash their hands in the blood of the heifer to bring forgiveness for the people of the city.  We are washed clean of our sins by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Verse seven proclaims, And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.  Moses said that they were then to say that they had not shed the blood of this man, nor did they know who did.  Of course, there was at least one person who knew who had slain the man, and that was the man who had murdered him, and he would not be held guiltless by God, even if he was never identified as the murderer.  We may commit a sin, or even many sins today, and no one in the world ever know about it, but God will always know, and He is the only one that counts.  Verse eight adds, Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel’s charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them.  They were to ask God to be merciful to them, because they had not shed this innocent blood and for God to not hold them responsible for it.  We can always depend on the fact that God will never hold us responsible for the sins of anyone else, and by His mercy He even sent Jesus Christ to atone for our sins if we will accept Him as our Savior and Lord.  Verse nine continues, So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.  Moses said that they could put away the guilt of innocent blood when they did as God instructed them to do. We today can put away the guilt of our sin when we do as God instructs us to and and repent and accept Jesus Christ Who shed His innocent blood for us as our Savior and Lord.  

Deuteronomy 20:10

Deuteronomy 20:10 says, When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.  Moses said when the came to a city to fight against it, they should first offer them peace.  We as followers of Christ are to first offer peace to those who would fight against us.  Verse eleven adds, And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.  Moses said if the people there accepted their offering of peace, that they were to be tributaries of the people of Isrwel and serve them.  People that we offer the peace of God to today are not our servants if they accept, but are God's servants and our equals in His kingdom.  Verse twelve continues, And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:  Moses then said if the people of the city would not make peace with them, then the people of Israel were to besiege them.  As Christians, all we can do is offer others the good news of the gospel, but we cannot force them to accept it.  Verse thirteen states, And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:  Moses said when, not if, God delivered them, that they were to slay all the men with the sword.  We today as followers of Christ do not still have this same command, but we are to reach out to our enemies with the love of God, and He will one day determine their fate and not us.  Verse fourteen adds, But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.  Moses then said that they were to take the women, little children, cattle, and all that was in the city as spoils of war.  We are not to claim the things of this world that belong to our enemies as our own even if God destroys them, because we are not to follow God for material gain.  Verse fifteen continues, Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.  Moses said this applied to cities that were very far off from them, which were not cities in the Promised Land itself.  Matthew Henry said they were to spare the women and children of those that were far off because they were less likely to contaminate the people of Israel with idolatry.  I believe we can say that today we are to be less concerned about those who are far off than we are to be concerned about those who are in our midst who would tempt us to turn away from God.  Verse sixteen says, But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:  Moses said that of the cities that God gave them they were to utterly destroy everything.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we are to destroy everything in our life that could lead us away from living by faith.  Verse seventeen adds, But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:  Moses then added the names of the people that they were to utterly destroy.   The people of Israel were not to make this determination themselves, but were to act under God's command.  We today are still to follow God's command in the way that we treat the lost, even those who are openly at war with us.  Verse eighteen continues, That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.  Moses said they were to utterly destroy these people so that the people of Israel would not be tempted to follow the abominations of these people.  We need to destroy everything in our life once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord today that would lead us away from God.  Verse nineteen states, When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege:   Moses said that they were not to destroy the fruit trees around the city.  These would provide food the the people of Israel then and later on.  Verse twenty adds, Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.  Mose said that they could cut down and use the non fruit bearing trees to use as bulwrks against the city.  Though God had promised them the victory, they were still to follow His guidance in how they fought against their enemies.  As we as Christians fight against the forces of evil in the world today, were are to do so under God's guidance.