Deuteronomy 24:1

Deuteronomy 24;1 says, When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.  Moses said that if a man got married and no longer found favor in his wife because of some uncleanness in her, though what this might be was not specified, he was to give her a written bill of divorcement and put her out of his house.  It was not adultery, because for this she was to be put to death.  Verse two adds, And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife.  After the woman was divorced, she was free to go and become another man’s wife.  Still, divorce was never God's plan, but as Jesus said, was only allowed by God because of the hardness of man’s heart.  Verse three continues, And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;  Moses then referred to what would happen if the second husband divorced her or died.  Verse four concludes, Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.  In this case,the first husband could not marry her again, because this would be an abomination to God.  At that time, the woman had very few rights.  We have made divorce too easy to obtain I believe, and therefore both the husband and wife often enter into a marriage, in which God is not the center to start with, thinking that they will just get a divorce if things don't work out.  Verse five states, When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.  Moses said that when a man married, he was not to go to war or to be chatged with any business that took him away from home a lot for a year.  He was to use this time to make his wife happy.  It would be nice if we had this luxury to take that time off to get to know one another today, but most often both the husband and wife have a job that they must get back to.  Verse six adds, No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge: for he taketh a man’s life to pledge.  Moses said that the man should not expect to gain materially from his marriage, because he had taken his wife's life for his pledge.  Verse seven says, If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.  Moses said that anyone caught stealing from a fellow Israelite would be put to death.  We today debate the death penalty for murderers, but God has never said that the death penalty should not apply for murder, and often it was specified for much lesser crimes for those who were a part of His people, because these crimes would bring dishonor to Him.  Verse eight states, Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do.  Moses said they were to obey the laws concerning leprosy, because it was contagious and could spread through the whole congregation.  Many today, even Christians, would likely say that no one had a right to tell them that they had to separate themselves, even if it would benefit others.  Verse nine adds, Remember what the LORD thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt.  Moses said that even Miriam was not exempt from following the law concerning leprosy.  Our position in the church should never be used to attempt to exempt us from God's laws.

Deuteronomy 23:17

Deuteronomy 23;17 says, There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.  Moses said their would be no whore of the women of Israel nor any sodomite, or homosexual, of the men.  Though many dietary restrictions and physical requirements changed after Christ died, moral requirements did not, and I believe these are moral requirements that never changed.  Verse eighteen adds, Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.  Moses said that they should not bring money made by a whore into the house of God, nor the price of a dog, which Matthew Henry says he believed was a reference to a sodomite, which he said meant a whore master.  I believe that since sodomy referred to homosexual acts committed in Sodom, a sodomite would be one committing these acts.  God would not accept their money, no matter their reason for offering.  We cannot willfully commit sin and then expect God to accept our offerings, even if the church does.  Verse nineteen states, Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:  God said the people of Israel should not accept usury, or interest, on anything loaned to a fellow Israelite.  We today as followers of Christ should not either when lending to a fellow believer.  Verse twenty adds, Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.  Moses then said they could charge interest to a non Israelite, but never to their fellow Israelite.  If they didn't charge their brother interest, then God would bless them.  We should treat our fellow Christians as brothers and sisters in Christ and never expect to profit from helping them.  Verse twenty-one says,  When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.  Vows were things freely promised to God, and Moses said that if we make a vow to God that we are to completely fulfill it, because God expects us to.  We should never go back on our promises to God.  Verse twenty-two adds, But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.  Moses said if they, and we today, did not make a vow that it would be no sin.  Again, vows are things freely promised to God by someone above what His laws require.  Verse twenty-three continues, That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.  Moses said that ever vow made and every freewill offering vowed to God that He would expect the person making it to fulfill it.  We should never make insincere promises to God, because He takes our promises seriously.  Verse twenty-four states, When thou comest into thy neighbour’s vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.  Moses said when they came into their neighbors vineyard,  they could eat their fill, but they weren't to take any of the fruit away with them.  I believe that this means that if we are in need that we should be able to look to our neighbor for help, but we are never to take advantage of them by expecting them to give us more than we need.  Verse twenty-five adds, When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour’s standing corn.  Moses said that if they came into a neighbour’s corn that the same rule as that of the vineyard applied.  They could take enough to meet their immediate need, but no more.  Of course, this would also require the owner to freely allow them to do so.  We likewise should be willing to help our neighbors when they are in need without expecting anything in return. 

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.