Deuteronomy 26:1

Deuteronomy 26:1 says, And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein;    Moses then told the people of Israel what God expected them to do when they went in and possessed the land He was giving them.  God has given us something mich greater, everlasting life, if we accept it by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse two adds, That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there.  Moses said that God's command was for them to put the first of all the fruit of the earth in a basket and bring it to the place that God chose to put His name as a place of worship.  Of course, really the whole land belonged to God, just as everything we own as Christians belongs to Him today.  Verse three continues,  And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the country which the LORD sware unto our fathers for to give us.  They were then to go to the priest who was there in that day and profess that they had come into the land that that the LORD the priest’s God had promised to their fathers, both the priests and theirs.  When we first accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, He had been the God of other people, but when we accept Him, He becomes our God as well.  Verse four states, And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God.  Moses then said that the priest was to take the basket and set it before the altar of God.  I believe that we should take all our possessions and place them before God, and dedicate them for His use.  Verse five adds, And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:  Moses said that they were then to tell God that they remembered who they were.  They came from a Syrian, Jacob, who was about to perish in a famine until he came to the land of Egypt to survive, and that in Egypt, they became a great and mighty nation, even though they didn't realize it at that time.  Until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we are about to die in a spiritual famine, and once we accept Him, we become a part of a great and mighty people, God's people, even if we don't always live as though we believe this.  Verse six continues, And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:  Moses said they were to tell God that they remembered that even though they were a great and mighty nation that they were enslaved by the Egyptians.  Just because we as followers of Christ are a part of God's great and mighty nation does not mean that we are to always be in power in the world.  Verse seven declares, And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression,  Moses said they were to tell God that they remembered how they called out to Him in their oppression and that He remembered them.  We should always remember how we called out to God in our time of oppression, and He remembered us, by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, and we should always thank Him for doing so.  Verse eight adds, And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:  Mose said that they were to remember how God brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand and many wonders, and we should always remember that as Christians God brought us out of spiritual bondage by His mighty act of allowing Jesus Christ to die in our place to set us free from this bondage.  Verse nine continues, And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.  Moses said they were then acknowledge that God had brought them to this land flowing with milk and honey and gave it to them.  Though they were now a great nation in numbers, they were only mighty when they put their faith in God.  The same is true for us as followers of Christ today.  Verse ten states, And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God:  They were to then tell the priest that for all God had done for them they now brought these firstfruits and offered them to God.  We need to offer the best that we have to God as Christians today before anything else.  Verse eleven adds, And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.  Moses then said that they should rejoice for all that God had done for them.  If we are a part of the kingdom of God today, we should always rejoice for all that He has done for us.

Deuteronomy 25:11

Deuteronomy 25:11 says, When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets:  Verse twelve adds, When thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her.  Moses said if a woman's husband was fighting with another man, and she grabbed the other man's private parts to help her husband, they were to cut off her hand and not pity her.  This would be seen as a sign of being immodest on the woman's part, and was to be taken very seriously.   We should still take modesty seriously today.  Verse thirteen states, Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.  Moses told the people that they should not have different weights to use with different people when conducting business.  They were to be honest with all people, and so should we today.  Verse fourteen adds, Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.  As with the weights, they were not to have different measuring devices in their house, one greater than the other.  These would be used to cheat certain people while treating some, including themselves, fairly.  We cannot have different standards for different people as followers of Christ, but must be honest with everyone, even if we may not like them.  Verse fifteen continues, But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.  Moses said they were to have perfect and just weights so that their days might be lengthened which the LORD their God gave them.  This meant first that they were truly God's people and second that they were obedient to Him.  As Christians, we are first God's people and second we should be obedient to Him, and if we are His by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, our days will be lengthened to forever spiritually, and this is what really matters.  Verse sixteen concludes, For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God.  Moses said that everyone who cheated others was an abomination toGod.  We cannot follow Christ and believe that our dealings with others do not matter.  God still sees dishonest business dealings, especially by His people, as an abomination.  We cannot think that as followers of Christ our treatment of others does not matter.  Verse seventeen says, Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;  Moses called on them to remember the actions of Amalek when they came out of Egypt.  This happened to the generation that had died, but was to be remembered by the coming generations as to how they shouldn't behave.  Verse eighteen adds, How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.  Moses reminded them that Amalek met those who had fallen behind, the weakest, who had done him no harm and killed them instead of offering them aid, because he did not fear God.  Verse nineteen continues, Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.  Moses said when they had achieved peace and secured the Promised Land that they were to then destroy the Amalekites completely, but never forget what he had done.  We today are to completely destroy sinful actions in our lives, but we are also to let God deal with the sins of others.   

Deuteronomy 25:1

Deuteronomy 25:1 says, If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.  Moses said that if two men in a disagreement came before the judges that they should justify the righteous and condemn the wicked.  I believe that the judges would have needed to rely on God to allow them to know which was which.  We need to pray that judges will be able to discern the truth today as well.  Verse two adds, And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.  Moses said that if the wicked had done something to deserve it, that He was to lay down and be beaten while he watched, in accordance with how much wickedness he was guilty of.  He would be found guilty, but the punishment would still fit the crime.  This should be the case today, that the punishment fit the crime.  Verse three continues, Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.  They were to give the man a maximum of forty stripes, and no more, because if he was given more the one's giving the stripes could seem vile.  This was to happen after the man had been found guilty, and we certainly should never hear of policemen beating suspects at all today, especially excessively, but we are seeing this more and more often.  Verse four states, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.  Moses then addressed the treatment of an ox treading corn, and said that the ox should not be muzzled so that it couldn't eat some of the corn that fell on the floor.  This would be cruel, and God never expects His people to be cruel to animals.  This does not mean that we are not allowed to use them to work, nor even that we are not allowed to kill them to eat.  We are just not to abuse them while they are performing work for us.  Verse five states, If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her.  Moses said if a married man died before he had a child that his brother was to marry the widow and give her a child to carry on the man's name in Israel.  Matthew Henry says this was to be an unmarried brother, and we now have a better understanding that we will not be forgotten in God's everlasting kingdom if we are a Christian, and that is where it really matters.  Verse six adds, And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.  Moses said her firstborn was to carry on the name of the deceased husband and brother.  It does not specify how the living brother was to carry on his name or lineage in Israel.  Verse seven continues, And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.  If the man refused to carry out this obligation, the widow was to take him before the elders and publicly state this.  In this case, the woman was given the power to demand justice, which they often weren't.  Verse eight says, Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her;  Verse nine adds, Then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house.  The man was to be called before the judges and given an opportunity to fulfill his obligation, and if he still refused, the widow was to come and in the presence of the elders pull off the man's shoe and spit in his face, thereby dishonoring him publicly.  Of course, we have no such law today.  Verse ten adds, And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.  The man would then be known in Isreal for what he had refused to do.  We might have more faithfulness to God today as followers of Christ if we were marked so the world could see when we failed to obey His commandments. 

Deuteronomy 24:10

Deuteronomy 24:10 says, When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.  Verse eleven adds, Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee. Moses said when obtaining a pledge from their brother that they were not to go into his house to obtain it, but were to allow him to bring it out.  They were still to treat him with respect and not as someone that they now controlled.  We should always treat others with respect, even if they owe us something.  Verse twelve continues, And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge:  There was also a law concerning the pledge of a poor person, and that was that the person obtaining the pledge should not keep it overnight.  Verse thirteen concludes, In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the LORD thy God.  The one with the pledge was to return it by nightfall so that the one who had pledged it could sleep in his own garment and bless the lender.  Too often today, the attitude of the lender is that he will not release a person from their debt until every bit is paid, no matter how much the one with the debt may suffer for it.  Moses said that if the one holding the pledge did this, it would go well with them,  I believe in the eyes of God, we today should be more concerned with what is right with God than with how much we can gain materially.  Verse fourteen states, Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates:  Moses said they were not to oppress the poor, whether they were Israelites or not.  We could learn from this today.  Verse fifteen adds, At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee.  Moses said they were to pay the hired man daily, especially the poor, so that he did not cry against him to God and God count it as a sin.  God has always said that His people need to be mindful of the poor and do all that they can to help them.  Verse sixteen says, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.  Moses said that no one, even a father or son, should be put to death for the sins of others, but everyone should be put to death for their own sins.  This is still true, with one exception.  Jesus Christ was put to death for our sins, but this still does not exempt us from the earthly consequences of our sin.  Verse seventeen says, Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow’s raiment to pledge:  Moses said they were not to pervert the judgment of a stranger nor the fatherless, nor take a widow’s raiment for a pledge.  God always has and always will expect His people to be fair in their treatment of all people, especially the less fortunate.  Verse eighteen adds, But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing.  Moses said they were to remember that they had been bondsmen in Egypt until God freed them, just as we are to remember that we were in bondage to sin until God freed us by sending His only begotten Son to die for us.  Verse nineteen states, When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands.  Moses said when they were harvesting a field and realized they had forgotten a sheaf that they were not to go back and get it, but were to leave it for the stranger, the fatherless and the widow.  We need to have this same attitude of compassion today.  Verse twenty continues, When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. Verse twenty-one concludes, When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.  Moses said that when the harvested olives or grapes that they were not to go over the trees again, but were to leave them for those in need.  We need to be willing to share part of what God has blessed us with with the less fortunate.  Verse twenty-two declares, And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.  God through Moses said that they were to remember that they had been bondmen in Egypt before He set them free and that He commanded them to do these things.  Once we are set free by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, we are to do the things that God commands us to do.  

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.