Some Things Are Meant To Be Separated -- Like Clothes

[courtesy whyathens.com -- A Greek Elite Soldier or Presidential Guard]

God's Law Regarding Clothing -- Deuteronomy 22:5

In verses 5-12 of Deutoronomy chapter 22, we find several laws that God gave to Moses to give to the Israelites which Matthew Henry suggests get into the details of life and living. The laws of men do not usually do that, but God is interested in all aspects of our lives and this passage is evidence of that. Henry says, "that even in them (these little things) we may be in the fear of the Lord, as we are under his eye and care." So, let's take a look at the first such law found in verse 5.

This is no doubt one that has caused controversy within the Church in general for years and to the individual Christian more recently as the world's trends seem to contradict what God is commanding here. Verse five states, 

    "A woman shall not wear man's clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman's clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God."

This is no doubt a difficult verse for any of us to tackle these days. 

Let's begin by stating that in the Old Testament days, clothes worn by both men and women were very 'similar' but, as David Guzik says there were some specific differences and they were certainly worn in different ways by men and women. So, what is God really saying here in this verse?

Well, for starters, we need to consider where God was possibly coming from. Cross-dressing, according to Guzik, was a feature of pagan, idolatrous worship in the ancient world. Henry tells us that in the worship of Venus, women appeared in armour, and men in women's clothes. This custom continued for the idolatrous Gentiles for centuries and as such, as our verse says, "is an abomination to the Lord your God."

The commentator Chuck Smith raises the issue of women wearing pants or what he calls pantsuits. This has been a controversy in the Church for years. I like what he says. He suggests we are living in a strange age where men and women are dissatisfied with being men or women, as the case may be. They're having sex changes or they're dressing and making their faces up like the other sex which they are not. But I particularly like what he says when people argue that since women wear pantsuits in church, this other behavior can be justified. (Before I share his response, let me interject a thought -- anyone who believes that everything that goes on in a church is godly, needs to rethink, big time.). Here is how Smith responds:

"Well, let me tell you something, I never wear one of those pantsuits that the women wear. I don't consider that men's apparel at all. But the whole idea behind it is of lesbianism or homosexuality, where you are affecting to be one of the opposite sex or seeking to be one of the opposite sex, and that is what is actually being, you know, what He's coming down on here. Women who are trying to be men and men who are trying to be women."

So, for Smith, and me, the issue is not what you wear. If I were a Scot, I'd likely wear a kilt. As a very young Greek, I wore a "Foustanella" pictured above, as the uniform of the elite Greek soldier and presidential guard. So, it's not about wearing similar clothing that God seems to object to and calls abomination, it's about whether or not one wears clothes of the other sex with the desire or intention of being like the other sex. So, it's about the mind and the heart. As most sins against God are.

Guzik puts it this way. He says, the command is not against similar clothes, but it is a command "against dressing in a manner that deliberately blurs the lines between the sexes."  That's what I believe God is opposed to and sees as an abomination.

But that's only my view.  I would love to hear yours.

If you like the way we're studying Scripture, why not subscribe to the right of this post by giving us only your email? You can also check out what we've written on earlier parts of the Bible by checking out the Blog Archive below the Subscribe section. And finally, please share out link with your family and friends.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

"Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers" Doesn't Cut It With God

[ courtesy BC SPCA ]

How To Deal With Things Others Have Lost -- Deuteronomy 22:1-4

Whoever would have thought that what we used to sing in the schoolyard as kids whenever we found something belonging to someone else was not, and is not, the way God intended for us to deal with lost property?

In this passage, Moses tells the Israelites what they are to do in such cases. We note first of all that the identification of the person who owns the lost property is simply "your countryman".  Now, I am going to stick my neck out and say that I'm sure that as we apply what we learn today, we can broader the definition to include our country-women as well, plus visitors, immigrants, etc., to our environs. With that settled (hopefully), we can move on to the actual instructions when we find lost goods.

The section started with the fact that we are to be on the lookout, not just for things that are lost, but for things that are on their way to being lost. So verse 1 says if we see someone's animal "straying away", we can't just ignore them -- we need to take them back to their owner. Today, maybe that's a horse, or a dog, or a cat. Or a child. Yes, you can't just take them for your own.  It's called being 'preventative' on behalf of the owner. God has given you that opportunity for a reason.

One example of something along this line from my own experience is the number of times I have been in crowded stores or just crowded streets, and I've notice (usually a lady) that has left her wallet or cellphone or small purse sitting in her shopping cart and has wandered away looking for tri-colored peppers. Or walking on the street and in front of me is a woman with her purse over her shoulder but the purse has come open and there sitting for anyone to help themselves to is her wallet or her cellphone. She wouldn't even feel the handiwork of the thief. In such occasions I make it my business to find a way to speak with her (without alarming her) and letting her know about the situation. You can't believe, after they get over the initial shock of a stranger talking to them, how thankful they are. I do believe we must do that. And who knows the value of our deed but God alone. I will never forget the time my mother lost her wallet stuffed with my dad's full weekly wages while grocery shopping.  Fortunately, it was returned by a police officer to the house -- before dad got home. She was saved. We are to do good for others.

Now what do you do when you find something you know belongs to someone else but you do not know who that someone is, or if you do, they live far far away? Well, verse 2 says to take the thing home and do not make it yours but rather keep it safe until you hear of someone seeking what they lost.  Then you get in touch with them and restore it to them. And perhaps as Christians we may want to go out of our way to look in newspapers or on store bulletin boards hoping (yes, actually hoping) to find the owner of what we found.

Verse 3 says this goes for anything that someone has lost and you have found, no matter what it is. And your role is an active one, not a passive one. The verse says, "You are not allowed to neglect them."

Verse 4 also instructs us to actually help get someone else's animals out of trouble if we have noticed they have gotten into trouble. Roll your sleeves up and help. Get dirty if you have to. Even before you even know the owner. In fact, it may be an enemy. Here's your chance to make them an ally, or to share your faith with them.

As I write these words today, it is Christmas Eve 2020 amid a lockdown very similar to those being experienced by millions of people around the world. Everything is so different this year from other years. We are without our families and friends. We can't go to church. When we go out, we have to stay six feet apart and if we enter a grocery store (one of the few types of essential retailers that are still open), we have to wear a mask. It's new territory for many people. But we can be sure of one thing -- God's rules for living and how to treat each other have not changed.

Before you sing, "Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers" you have to make every effort to Find the Seeker, and turn his/her Weeping into Joy.

If you like the way we're studying Scripture, why not subscribe to the right of this post by giving us only your email? You can also check out what we've written on earlier parts of the Bible by checking out the Blog Archive below the Subscribe section. And finally, please share out link with your family and friends.

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Unlike in Westerns, God Instructs that Those Hanged Be Buried the Same Day

[ photo courtesy of wjla.com ]

The Law of Hanging -- Deuteronomy 21:22-23

In this short two-verse passage of Scripture, Moses tells the Israelites how they are to deal with those that have committed a sin worthy of death.  Throughout the books of the Bible that Moses authored, there are verses which identify the sins that qualify. Here he is just laying it out as to what is to be done with those that commit them. I find it interesting that in verse 22, the reference is to a 'sin' worthy of death, and not a 'crime'.

I would like to argue that there is a difference at least in my mind. Crimes are committed against others or against the state. Sins are committed against God. Understandingly some crimes (murder, stealing, etc.) are sins. But the emphasis here is on sins and not crimes -- it is these sins that are worthy of death. Elsewhere in Scriptures we read that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

So these sins against God were to be dealt with by a punishment of death. And this short passage then goes on to give further instruction about those deaths that occur by hanging.

Verse 23 says that the corpse of a hanged body shall not be left hanging all night, but rather be buried on the same day as when the person was hanged.

Now here is the double-reason for doing so:
First, because the hanged person is accursed of God.
Second, because letting the body hang overnight adds to the defiling of the land which God had given them as an inheritance.

Two verses with lots of impact. We will let some of the great commentators help us out here.

ROBERT JAMIESON

Hanging was not a Hebrew form of execution . . ., but the body was not to be left to rot or be a prey to ravenous birds; it was to be buried "that day," either because the stench in a hot climate would corrupt the air, or the spectacle of an exposed corpse bring ceremonial defilement on the land.

CHUCK SMITH

Now this of course becomes interesting to us. Any man who was hung on a tree was cursed of God. Paul tells us that Christ became a curse for us because it is written, "cursed is he who hangs on a tree" (Gal 3:13). Paul was referring to this particular verse here in Deuteronomy.

But showing that Christ became the curse for us in that He took our sins upon Himself when He was hung there upon the tree, He took the curse of God. He bore the curse of God against sin. . . .

Now Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us, for it is written cursed is everyone who hangs upon a tree. So you see the law actually cursed me. Man if I was living under this thing I would be stoned to death. The law condemned me to die. But Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law, because He became a curse for me. He bore the curse for me, because it is written accursed is everyone that hangs upon a tree. By Him being crucified there He bore God's curse.

DAVID GUZIK

In the thinking of ancient Israel there was something worse than being put to death. Worse than that was to be put to death and to have your corpse left exposed to shame, humiliation, and scavenging animals and birds. . . Therefore, if anyone was executed and deemed worthy of such disgrace (and you hang him on a tree), the humiliation to his memory and his family must not be excessive. This was a way of tempering even the most severe judgment with mercy. . . The punishment of being hanged on a tree, and left to open exposure, was thought to be so severe, that it was reserved only for those for which is was to be declared: "this one is accursed of God.". . . We are redeemed from the curse of the law by the work of Jesus on the cross for us. We no longer have to fear that God wants to curse us; He wants to bless us, not because of who we are, or what we have done, but because of what Jesus Christ has done on our behalf.

MATTHEW HENRY

The hanging of them by the neck till the body was dead was not used at all among the Jews, as with us; but of such as were stoned to death, if it were for blasphemy, or some other very execrable crime, it was usual, by order of the judges, to hang up the dead bodies upon a post for some time, as a spectacle to the world, to express the ignominy of the crime, and to strike the greater terror upon others, that they might not only hear and fear, but see and fear. Now it is here provided that, whatever time of the day they were thus hanged up, at sun-set they should be taken down and buried, and not left to hang out all night; sufficient (says the law) to such a man is this punishment; hitherto let it go, but no further. Let the malefactor and his crime be hidden in the grave. Now, 

• . . . The time of exposing dead bodies thus is limited for the same reason that the number of stripes was limited by another law: Lest thy brother seem vile unto thee. Punishing beyond death God reserves to himself; as for man, there is no more that he can do. . . .Yet it is plain there was something ceremonial in it; by the law of Moses the touch of a dead body was defiling, and therefore dead bodies must not be left hanging up in the country, because, by the same rule, this would defile the land.
• . . . There is one reason here given which has reference to Christ. He that is hanged is accursed of God, that is, it is the highest degree of disgrace and reproach that can be done to a man, and proclaims him under the curse of God as much as any external punishment can. Those that see him thus hang between heaven and earth will conclude him abandoned of both and unworthy of either; and therefore let him not hang all night, for that would carry it too far. Now the apostle, showing how Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by being himself made a curse for us, illustrates it by comparing the brand here put on him that was hanged on a tree with the death of Christ, Gal. 3:13. Moses, by the Spirit, uses this phrase of being accursed of God, when he means no more than being treated most ignominiously, that it might afterwards be applied to the death of Christ, and might show that in it he underwent the curse of the law for us, which is a great enhancement of his love and a great encouragement to our faith in him. And (as the excellent bishop Patrick well observes) this passage is applied to the death of Christ, not only because he bore our sins and was exposed to shame, as these malefactors were that were accursed of God, but because he was in the evening taken down from the cursed tree and buried (and that by the particular care of the Jews, with an eye to this law, Jn. 19:31), in token that now, the guilt being removed, the law was satisfied, as it was when the malefactor had hanged till sun-set; it demanded no more. Then he ceased to be a curse, and those that were his. And, as the land of Israel was pure and clean when the dead body was buried, so the church is washed and cleansed by the complete satisfaction which thus Christ made.
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• And in the words of the late American Radio Broadcaster, Paul Harvey, "And now you know the rest of the story about Christ's death and burial."
• Once again the study of the Old Testament helps us understand the New Testament.
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Can This Apparently Appalling Passage Have Anything To Teach Us Today?

[ courtesy of Focus on the Family & Jupiterimages/Pixland/Thinkstock -- look them up for more pics ]

The Law of the Rebellious Son -- Deuteronomy 21:18-21

I wasn't ready for this passage. I'm still not sure that I am ready for it now. But it's in the Scriptures and we can't be selective about what we read and what we study. We need to make some sense of it --first for why Moses would relate such instructions to parents thousands of years ago, and second in order to determine if there is anything for us to learn from it.

So let's get to it. Verse 18 talks about a "stubborn and rebellious son". Those labels are further described as a son who does not obey either his father or his mother, one who has been chastised or corrected by them, and one who still continues to "not even listen to them". A few things to note here.

First, while the passage refers to a 'son' I do not know whether the instructions were intended to be the same for a female child. Given the role of females in the family, and the customs of the Israelites, it is possible that Moses had not come across a situation where a daughter of the day would behave in a way that demanded such strong action as described in this passage. When it comes to any application of this passage's lessons for us today, we can safely replace the word 'son' with 'son or daughter'. It seems our modern society has fought so hard for women's rights (and rightly so) that the fairer sex may well have to take the bad along with the good that comes with their more recent (and most necessary) rise in status.

Second, this is no ordinary baby, or toddler, or even a pre-teenager. This is talking about a child that is old enough to make his/her own decisions. This is in essence about a young adult -- one old enough to go into battle, for example.

Third, we note the disobedience referred to here is disobedience to either parent, not just the father. I know of dads who think it's okay to disobey mother (especially if you are a boy), but heaven help you if you disobey your father. That's a bad philosophy to begin with. It does nothing but show the arrogance of the father and the lack of respect for the mother by both child and husband. Families and children are ruined because parents are not united in the discipline of their children.

Fourth, we note that these instructions are intended after the parents have done everything possible to try and correct their child from the behavior that is unwanted and detrimental to their child's own life. These are not instructions for those parents that have no interest in putting any effort into raising their children appropriately.

Finally, in verse 18, we read that the child, after the parents have attempted correction, continues to not pay any attention to them, but rather goes on his/her merry and destructive way.

It's only once all these conditions have been met that verse 19 comes into play. And the first thing we note in that verse is that the action to be taken is taken by 'both' his/her parents. This is not a unilateral decision by one of the parents. Both must be in agreement. That's how parenting God's way works. But this is also to protect the child from a single irrational or furious parent. When it comes to the serious discipling of their children, a mother and father (whether they're married, separated, or divorced) must be united with the decision, unless of course, one of the parents has abdicated their role as a parent and is totally out of the picture.

The Israelite parents together were to present the rebellious child to the elders of the city at the gate of the city (verse 20). (This instruction as to location becomes important as we will see shortly.) And 'together' they were to say to the elders, "This son (child) of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he (she) will not obey us, he (she) is a glutton and a drunkard." My guess here, and this is only my guess, given what comes later in the next verse as to why this must be done, such disobedience and behavior may also have to do with heathen practices that God hates.  In any case, it takes a lot for parents to come to that realization, especially after they have spent many a long night desperately doing all they can to help their child leave their errant ways. But at some point, parents in that situation have to face the facts and seek help beyond themselves.

Verse 21 is, at least for me as a father, is one of the most difficult verses in the Bible. The elders of the city were then to take the child turned over by the parents and stone him (her) to death. Wow. How can parents do this? There is no rhyme or reason to it. Unless, unless of course, one really understood why God through Moses would expect this action. And why was that? The text says, ". . . so you shall remove he evil from your midst (and that's why it was to be done by the city gates, or just outside them), and all Israel shall hear of it and fear." There it is. The child was involved in something evil. All Israel, including perhaps the child's younger brothers and sisters, should hear of it and due to fear, would not follow in their evil sibling's footsteps. And as a parent you had to also believe that obeying God in that way, and in the process, preventing others from similar outcomes, was paramount to your own relationship with your God. Only then does this make any sense.

I just thank God that we do not live in the days of the Old Testament. I thank God that such rules do not apply to us in the same way.  We don't have to give even our evil children over to the authorities to have them take their lives. Instead, by the teaching of God's own Son, Jesus Christ Who was loved so much by His Father (our parental role model), our job is to love our children and do everything possible to raise them up as men and women who love God and do good.

Still, though, there may be times when we as parents have to take drastic action and do the right thing with respect to our children and the authorities.  For example, if we know our child has committed a crime, then it behooves us to cooperate with the authorities investigating the crime. That does not mean we will not do all we can to help our child, but it does mean we are not lie or hide them or stop them in any way from facing the consequences of their crime. The same is true if they have not committed a crime, but we know that they are about to. I'm thinking of those parents that know the anger their children have, and the arms they have stacked in their rooms, or the gangs they belong to, or the terrorist cells they seem to be in contact with.  There is no way that any Christian should stay silent in those matters.

Indeed, this is a difficult topic.  I've addressed it for myself as honestly as I possibly could. I'd appreciate your thoughts and comments or questions. And also, if you like the way we're studying Scripture, why not subscribe to the right of this post by giving us only your email?  You can also check out what we've written on earlier parts of the Bible by checking out the Blog Archive below the Subscribe section.  And finally, please share our link with your family and friends.

I've added a link to a great resource here from Focus on the Family. For those who need some advice on how to deal with a rebellious child, this is a great read.  Take a look: Dealing with a Rebellious Teen .  We borrowed a picture from that article for our blog today.

I'd love to hear from you.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Moses Links War, Marriage, Love, and Wills -- What We Can Learn From It

[photo from asianage.com]

The Law of Marriage -- Deuteronomy 21:10-17

This passage is rife with lessons if we take the time to glean them from the text.  And they're not all pretty.

Moses is speaking to warriors who have defeated an enemy that God has given into their hands and who have taken the people away as captives. And among those captives, is a beautiful woman that a warrior desires and wants as a wife. (Of course, I won't ask how it is decided which warrior gets what beautiful woman.  I suppose it all evens out as beauty of that sort is truly in the eyes of the beholder.) Apparently this happened often in the days of the Israelites, and with great abuse taking place, so God had to give instructions as to how this was to be done.

Matthew Henry warns us clearly, "This indulgence of men's inordinate desires, in which their hearts walked after their eyes, is by no means agreeable to the law of Christ, which therefore in this respect, among others, far exceeds in glory the law of Moses. The gospel permits not him that has one wife to take another, for from the beginning it was not so."  (So don't get any ideas, guys.)

Anyway, the instructions were to take her home where she will shave her head and clip her nails (vs. 12). This was the actual "humbling" that is referred to later. 

She ditches the clothes she wore when captured (and we assume the warrior or his family will give her new clothes more aligned with the dress of her new culture). This was to indicate a change of 'allegiance' from her family to that of the warrior's. There she is to mourn the loss of her father and mother for a whole month during which the warrior is to leave her alone. Patience is in order.  No sex please. David Guzik gives the reason for this mourning:

"The captive woman had to mourn her past associations. This would be time when she could resolve issues in her heart regarding her family, and when her husband-to-be could live with her a month without intimate relations - so he could see if he really wanted to take this woman as a wife, and to make sure he was not making a decision based only of physical appearance or attractiveness."

It is after that month that the warrior may have sexual intercourse with her and by so doing, becoming her husband and taking her as a wife. How different this is from the 20th and 21st century accounts we hear about with respect to the raping of women belonging to the enemies by our soldiers.  God had no tolerance for that and still does not -- in war or at any other time.

But then what happens if the warrior is not pleased with the woman he has acquired? She's free to leave and go wherever she wants. (Might be a little hard to go back home if you completely razed her own nation to the ground.) But under no circumstances is the warrior to sell her or to mistreat her. And there's a reason for that. He had 'humbled' her by having shaved her head and taken her as a wife by sleeping with her.

The rest of the passage then switches course slightly and covers both the situation where a warrior takes and keeps a woman who was part of a captivity as well as those men who have more than one wife already. The passage talks about the situation where one wife is loved and the other is unloved, and they both bear the man sons. If the first-born belongs to the unloved, the man cannot declare the son of the loved one as a first-born with special rights when it comes to his will and estate upon his death. The real first-born still gets a double portion because he is, the Bible says, the "beginning of his strength".

So, what are the lessons we can take from all this?

For starters, may I suggest that when we're fighting battles for God -- we keep focused on the battle, not the spoils. Having said that I must admit that many a person has fallen in love with someone in the course of carrying out his/her work, including serving in the military, or on the mission field.  I have a nephew who had a stroke and had to go to therapy. Due to his condition he had to be driven there by a special vehicle for months. His assigned driver was a beautiful young woman who later became his wife and together they now have two beautiful children. So, yes it happens.

And when it does, we still have to stop being in a hurry. We have to wait and be patient, allowing an appropriate amount of time to ensure the other individual has time to mourn or to willingly decide that this is what they want too.

Third, I suggest there is good reason why today we do not practice polygamy. But even with monogamy, there  is sometimes a danger that we favor one child over another. We can't do that. And those of us who have more than one child, and love God  and see Him as our 'role model' for parenting, know deep down in our hearts that we can't do that.

Bottom line:

1. Stick to one spouse, it makes everything so much easier.

2. Don't rush to marry someone -- give the other person time to think it over -- for your own sake.

3. Love all your children equally and honor their specific rights.

God and Moses continue to deliver instructions to the children of Israel several thousands years ago which have considerable impact on how we are to live life.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

What God Expects of Us w.r.t. A Mysterious Murder

[ photo courtesy nbcnews.com ]

The Law of Unknown Murder -- Deuteronomy 21:1-9

Whoever would have thought that God's people have a responsibility with respect to murders in their land that can't be solved by Sherlock Holmes or Jessica Fletcher? But it seems that the first nine verses of Deuteronomy chapter 20 seem to indicate that we do. Or at least that the Israelites settling in their new land of milk and honey had. And by extension, maybe, just maybe, there is a principle or two for us Christians to follow today.

The Israelites were told that if they found someone slain (murdered) and no one knew who had done it, there was still a guilt of innocent blood in their midst that had to be removed.

So they first had to determine which city was closest to the murder scene (if indeed the body was not found within a city already). This is the original case of establishing 'jurisdiction' and for those that follow crime cases, you know that jurisdiction is central to who can officially work on the ensuing investigation. But did you know that God had introduced that principle thousands of years ago?

Then the elders of that city had to select a young heifer from their herd (one that hat not been worked or under a yoke) and take it down to a valley with running water, which had not been plowed or sown. And there they were to kill the heifer by breaking its neck.

The priests of the city would then come by and bless the whole thing, as a sacrifice but not an actual sacrifice (see next paragraph), after which the elders who had done the killing would wash their hands (with water) over the dead heifer and utter, "Our hands have not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it." In essence, as Guzik suggests, they were saying, "We have done all we could to determine who the murderer was in order to avenge this shedding of blood, but we were unable to."  He also points out that had they not done everything, then this act of theirs was a mere empty gesture similar to Pilate's washing of his hands at the trial of Jesus (Matthew 27:24).

With respect to this being a sacrifice, Matthew Henry says, "This was not a sacrifice (for it was not brought to the altar), but a solemn protestation that thus they would put the murderer to death if they had him in their hands."

Robert Jamieson adds some very colorful and interesting commentary on the whole process and its purpose:

"They reported to the nearest town to the spot where the body was found. An order was then issued by their supreme authority to the elders or magistrates of that town, to provide the heifer at the civic expense and go through the appointed ceremonial. The engagement of the public authorities in the work of expiation, the purchase of the victim heifer, the conducting it to a 'rough valley' which might be at a considerable distance, and which, as the original implies, was a wady, a perennial stream, in the waters of which the polluting blood would be wiped away from the land, and a desert withal, incapable of cultivation; the washing of the hands, which was an ancient act symbolical of innocence--the whole of the ceremonial was calculated to make a deep impression on the Jewish, as well as on the Oriental, mind generally."

Most interesting indeed. The principle for us to note is that this was done at the command of the local authorities. This is how local governments are supposed to operate -- under God and in accordance with His laws and commands. We have strayed far from that today.

And then the elders, in their prayer, continued with a request of God . . . 

"Forgive Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, O Lord, and do not place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel."

Then Moses says, "And the blood guiltiness would be forgiven them."

Guzik comments: "When Israel followed God's instructions for atonement, He honored His word by taking away their guilt. But the removal of guilt was always based on blood sacrifice, on a substitutionary atonement - looking forward to the work of Jesus on the cross for the entire world."

The passage ends by Moses saying that this is how they were to remove the guilt of innocent blood from among them if they do what he instructed which is right in the eyes of the Lord.

So, what are the lessons for us? Here's my take; maybe you can share yours or comment on mine.

1. We are to be aware of what is going on in our community and can't just turn a blind eye to events that don't concern us -- for ultimately they do.

2. We are to see to it that our local authorities carry out their responsibility to victims of crime and to the community.

3. We are to be mindful of our responsibility in the crime itself if we, by our indifference, have played a role in allowing our community to fall into such disrepair or decay, making crimes like this are easy to commit.

4. We must seek God's forgiveness for same.

5. We are to look forward to the day when there will be no more shedding of innocent blood because of Christ's sacrifice and God's plan for mankind. May that day come in His good time.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

What To Do With The Enemy? An Ancient General & His Commander-In-Chief Answer.

[ photo, courtesy of newscientist.com ]

The Law of Warfare -- Part III -- Deuteronomy 20:10-20

This passage from the Old Testament records how Moses instructed the Israelites about God's strategy for dealing with their enemies. It provides us with much insight into how we can deal with our enemies -- be they nations, powers, principalities, entities, groups of people, or individuals. Our enemies may be physical or they may spiritual, or social, or psychological.  Whoever they are -- here are some gems that you can rely on:

First, realize you are strong, your army is mighty, and that God is with you. Moses has been saying this all along to the Israelites. God has to repeat it later in the book of Judges to the various leaders He has appointed to rule Israel. They had to have their fears allayed before going into battle.

Second, especially when the enemy is physical -- don't go after them with the intent of wiping them off the face of the earth.  God would have you leave that to Him if necessary.  Don't be like Iran's leaders that publicly boast about wanting to eliminate the Great Satan (the U.S.) and the Little Satan (Israel) off the face of the earth and are just waiting for the right opportunity. Instead, the Israelites were told (verse 10) to first offer their enemies "terms of peace". But not all their enemies as we will see later.

The enemy is your enemy for a reason -- they did something that they should not have done. They killed your loved one. Or they attacked your land. The cheated you. They hurt you or someone under your care. They deny or worse still, hate your God. The fact that you are to first offer them peace and they accept it, does not mean they are to be 'scot-free'. Not at all. They still have to be dealt with. They still have to pay for their evil. And that may mean some sort of punishment. That is why in verse 11 of Deuteronomy chapter 20, we read that if the enemy does agree to make peace with you, they have to serve you as forced labor. There are prisoners of war to be taken and put to work.

We each have to decide what that means in our individual cases wth our own enemies. I remember once being involved in an organization in which one of its subsidiaries rebelled against head office and did all it could to take the assets assigned to them to look after and shed the corporate entity. We decided to fight and fight hard. They lost. Relationships were broken. All the assets were returned to their rightful owner. Some time later we decided to sell them the assets they thought they deserved at fair market value. Being a Christian does not always mean 'lying down and playing dead'.  If you believe someone is getting away with something they should not, you have a responsibility to fight hard to make it right. If not for your sake, for the weaker ones that come after you.

Another example would be discovering that your local retailer cheats you on a deal. You may feel or argue that it's just not worth fighting. Not worth the hassle.  Not worth the time. You can shop elsewhere.  And the amount they ripped you off for is insignificant to you. Fine. But then you think of your children that may want to shop there, you think of the little old lady that does shop there who is on a limited income, and you think of the retailer who may never have another chance to go clean. And you go after them, involving the authorities where and when necessary. There are times when you face your 'enemies' square on.

Now what happens if after your enemy is given a chance to make peace with you and they refuse? Verse 12 says you besiege it -- you force it to surrender. In today's terms, you legally "throw the whole book of the law" at your enemy. (Now, of course, the New Testament tells us not to do that with our fellow brothers and sisters, our fellow Christians.  True.  But that's not the case we're talking about here.)

Verse 13 and following now get really bloody (for lack of a better word). If an enemy nation would not make peace with Israel, or surrender to Israel, and God gives it into the hands of the Israelites, they were to  kill all the men with the edge of the sword. Women, children, animals, and objects in the city were to be taken as 'booty' for the use of the Israelites. They were to consider that a gift from God.

I don't know about you. I struggle with the justification that many Christians use today to say that the New Covenant has changed all that. We are no longer to go to war. We are no longer to dole out punishment for crime and evil against us. And I believe a lot of that is true -- in certain personal cases.  "Vengeance is Mine" says the Lord. I get it. But I also believe that when people or nations come against you because of the fact that you believe in God, then that changes everything for me. To me there's a difference between an enemy country that steals you oilfields, and one that says there is no god but Allah and behaves as if they believe, by their continued executions of Christians, that we are Allah's enemies and we must be killed. (I'll let you think about that and please leave a comment below.)

Now, in verses 15-17, Moses shares a rule -- "Just do what was mentioned above to those enemies that are far away from the land God gave you as an inheritance; offer them peace first, then act accordingly depending on how they respond.  But to the nearby ones that are part of your inheritance, don't leave anyone alive." Wow. How unfair.

But not if you can see it from God's perspective. Moses wants us to do just that. So he gives us the reason why in verse 18: "That they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God."  God had no patience, no tolerance, no heart or desire for any of that to happen to His people, and thus His strong measures against those that would do that to the Israelites.  That's how much God loved them.

I believe the general principle that this Scripture is giving us here is that we are to keep our house and those near to us "clean and pure" -- no ifs, buts, or why's.  And perhaps there is some leniency to let others worry about far off lands today. Domestic policy trumps foreign policy as a priority.  That's why so many of us are fighting the new global reset, the new liberal, anti-God, anti-faith policies of our governments. Does that make sense?

Finally, for those of us that believe God also loves the earth that He created, Moses says God warned the Israelites against destroying any trees that would provide them with food.  That would have been unwise to say the least. In fact God says these trees are not the enemy -- they are not people -- to be besieged by the Israelites. They are to be saved.  And the trees they are to cut down (the ones that don't bear fruit) are to be put to use in constructing the equipment they would need to fight their enemies.

Yes, Christians have a God-given responsibility to protect nature and to use it wisely when necessary. And whoever thought we'd have that idea reinforced from a passage on war and fighting our enemies. You have to love the O.T.

Please share your thoughts, and tell others about this study and blog.  Thanks.  

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Two Key Roles of Military Officers In Times of War -- Recruitment and Appointments

[photo courtesy of West Point -- mwi.usma.edu]

The Law of Warfare -- Part II -- Deuteronomy 20:5-9

Last time we talked about the role of the clergy in times of war. This time our passage in Deuteronomy describes two very specific roles of senior military officers with respect to warfare.

The first is in verses 5-8 and the second is in given in verse 9.

Officers only want men (and now women) in their troops that will be totally focused and committed to the cause of defeating the enemy.  So any one in the process of building a house or in the midst of some other project was sent home. Otherwise, his/her mind would have been on that which he/she left unfinished rather than on the battle before them.

And the same is true of those who have planted a vineyard but have not yet harvested the fruit (verse 6). And of course, there are those who are involved in a relationship with the intent of being married (verse 7) -- no way they'd focus on the battle, so they are sent home.

Finally, the officers do not want people fighting beside them who are afraid and fainthearted. Their feelings may spread to the others (verse 8). A weak link in a chain, makes the chain inferior. A bad apple spreads its disease on the good ones in the basket. You can't have that when you are fighting a war -- physically or spiritually.

Recruitment is a major industry in the world today -- especially executive recruitment. Every one who recruits will tell you "It's a jungle out there and we need the right people to help us win this war we're waging." Whatever the war is. We cannot say enough about the importance of recruitment to the success of an organization, or a project, or a mission. One friend of mine has made a career out of running potential candidates through actual simulations of circumstances they would face on the job with a specific client. He believes resumes don't tell the whole story or the important part of the story. And he's right.

Just like the officers in the days of the Israelites, good managers today need to know not only what is required of employees in a job, but also what isn't required and in fact, would be a hindrance to performance for a candidate.

Unfortunately, many of us in our lives, many church leaders, and many business executives, do not take the time to recruit carefully.  Some rush to get married and the consequences and the cost are horrendous. Church boards select pastors without thinking it through carefully, and the spiritual costs for many are grave. Businesses appoint people into jobs that they soon want to get rid of.  These situations cannot be corrected easily.  The laws of our land today make that next to impossible. Our divorce laws, for better or for worse, don't always side with the innocent party. Our church leaders' fears of appearing to be inhumane usually favor the poor-performing incumbent and the congregation suffers. Our labor laws usually side with the employee. In each case, we need to do a better job of recruitment. We need to take the time and spend the money up front to do so, otherwise, the alternative costs of letting someone go -- spouse, church worker, or employee -- are, as my friend shows in his work, many times more costly. As someone once said and I have often repeated in my work, "the best time to fire someone is before you hire them".

Then in verse 9, the chief officers appoint other commanders of troops from those that have been properly recruited. This is their second key role. This requires excellent judgement, top-notch gut feelings, and wisdom -- preferably the kind that comes from experience as well as a dependence on God, a godly officer's ultimate "Commander in Chief".  Sometimes, we may recruit excellent people into our operations, but they do not have the capacity to lead other men and women. We need to detect that before they're appointed to higher positions involving supervision of others.

People have the ability to pick their own friends. Jordan Peterson says this about that: "If you have a friend whose friendship you wouldn't recommend to your sister, or your father, or you son, why would you have such a friend for yourself?"  Good question. Pick wisely.

We had or have the opportunity to pick our spouse. I hope you did or will do that well. And finally, as leaders in our churches, a business, or any organization, you have the opportunity to choose people. Don't rush. Consider what qualities, experience, etc., are needed. Consider what things must be avoided at all costs. Take the time to ensure both.

We will continue to find these 'gems for living life' today in the O.T. Sign up (to the right) to get notified of our new blogs so you won't miss out. Share your thoughts wth us in the comments. Share this blog with others. And pick wisely.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Can We Learn Anything From The Old Testament's Account of War?

[photo -- U.S. Air Force]

The Law of Warfare -- Part I -- Deuteronomy 20:1-4

We can be thankful that all else being equal, there have not been major wars going on during the last four years (2017 to 2020). Maybe that is what some of the elites who get rich off military activity are all upset about -- just one more reason for change in their mind. As a result, we have no idea of what the next four years may bring with a potential change in the American administration. Will Iran, China, Russia, Syria, and others, now flex their muscles and, being guaranteed arms from one source or another, itch to ignite another war? We don't know. We hope not.

But this may also be a good time for us to at least be aware of what the Old Testament has to say about 'warfare'. And for that we turn to Deuteronomy chapter 20.

Grant it, the context of this chapter is indeed instructions to the people of Israel whom God brought out of Egypt and slavery; was with them for forty years in the wilderness; and Who was settling them in their promised land. But still we can gain some great insight for us today with respect to modern-day war.  For example . . . 

In verse 1, Moses seems to be saying, "When you see, hear, feel, the might of the enemy, don't be afraid for the Lord God (Who has already proven Himself to you) IS with you."  It's natural for us to fear the Enemy -- or his representatives -- but we don't need to.  In fact, we shouldn't.  That's the key -- we need to focus on Who IS with us and how He has already proven Himself to us. We need to get to that point.

Something most interesting, to me at least, shows up in verses 2 to 4. Look who is involved in this act of war -- why, it's the priests.  It's the priest that tells the people not to be fainthearted or afraid, or to panic, or to tremble before the enemy. And then adds the reason why -- "for the Lord your God is the one Who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you."  Wow.

Many of us feel we are going into battle right now.  We have been told what to wear on our faces, how far apart to stand or sit, that we can't go to church or if we can, we can't sing in church, we can't visit our family and friends, we can't shop where we want, we can't travel, we can't have friends over for dinner, we can't eat out, and we soon won't be able to work if we don't have a certificate that says we've had the Covid-19 vaccine. And this has been going on for nine months and influential elite who stand to gain much from the vaccines say this will go on through 2022 -- yes, I'm thinking of Bill Gates' latest statement. So, where are our priests, where are or pastors and our ministers?  Let me be harsh here -- they're doing their best to keep everyone calm; they're focusing on going 'livestream'; they're continuing to give us wonderful sermons, on-line concerts, meetings, and prayer initiatives. We appreciate it. But they are not leading us into battle. God didn't intend for His people to live this way especially in the day of post-New Testament Church. We are to stand up for our beliefs and our ways of worship. And we need our faith leaders to lead us.

Okay, maybe this is a good place to stop and let me cool down and let you think about what I've said. Share with us your thoughts. You don't have to agree.

We'll continue this study on the Law of Warfare next time.  Stay tuned -- but do leave us a message please. 

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Justice Principles For Strong Societies

[Source: https://abidanshah.com/2018/10/19/the-witness-stand-by-pastor-abidan-shah/]

The Law of Witnesses -- Deuteronomy 19:15-21 

Today I woke up to some interesting news: The U.S. Supreme Court doesn't want to get involved in a case of potential voting fraud.  The Ontario government is saying they will issue proof certificates to those that have been vaccinated for Covid-19, and you won't be able to get into a cinema or travel without one. To protect themselves employer will make vaccines mandatory for employees.

Justice plays a role in all of these. For example, if the Supreme Court isn't interested in a major case, then who will hear it? Can a government actually take someone's liberties away for not been vaccinated? Can an employer fire you for not been vaccinated? (Already there is talk of exemptions for medical reasons and for religious reasons.)

Ah justice, it eludes us these days. But thousands of years ago, God did give people of Israel some basic principles if they wanted to keep their society strong. We still use some of them today, but we've strayed far from others.  Let's take a look at what we kept and what we threw out.

Deuteronomy chapter 19:15 tells us that one witness is never enough -- there must be at least two witnesses in order to confirm a crime was committed. Well, we didn't keep that, especially in the West.  The Harvard Law Review as far back as 1901 indicated there was a time (before that) when most societies put much value on the numerical count of witnesses.  But today, the question is no longer "is one witness sufficient to declare someone guilty of a crime?" but rather the real question is whether one witness can prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the accused committed the crime he/she is accused of. So, it seems, the answer is yes -- one witness is sufficient. That puts a heavy onus on that witness. It puts a heavier onus on the crown's side to carefully select the witness.  Is it any wonder that we often hear with respect to a big case that could prove a well-known person, usually a politician, committed a crime, that the person scheduled "to testify" suddenly disappeared or was found dead, usually murdered?  Yes, we have strayed far from God's advice on "witnesses".

Deuteronomy chapter 19, verses 16-19a tell the Israelites how to deal with what may be a "malicious witness". All the parties stand before "the Lord, the priests and the judges" to thoroughly investigate the case. And if they find the person did indeed give "false evidence" then that witness shall be treated or dealt with in the same way that his "false testimony" would have brought upon the accused. Sadly, today we seem to talk a lot about perjury under oath in a court case, but when discovered after the fact, we seem to close a blind eye to it. Politicians and those testifying in front of Government committees also commit perjury and seem to get away with it more often than not. Again we have strayed from the way God would have us deal with a malicious witness.

Deuteronomy chapter 19:19b-20 is also very interesting. It reads, "Thus you shall purge the evil from among you." Wow. God was saying if you want a well-running non-evil society, then you need to do certain things to get rid of evil. Following these rules He set up, and having them as examples to others,  are in fact deterrents to future malicious witnesses, and/or to future crimes.  Al Capone and his gang certainly believed in the idea of a "deterrent" as they often had people killed as a warning to others. Guerrilla rebels also do that today.  But we seem to be too "sophisticated" for that. We prefer the ideology that psychologists and sociologists have sold us -- that such punishment just is to inhumane and it does not work as a deterrent. Tell Al Capone that.  Better still, tell God that.

Speaking of ideologies, Norman Doidge in his Intro to Jordan Peterson's book, entitled "12 Rules for Life: An Anecdote to Chaos" writes:

Ideologies are simple ideas, disguised as science or philosophy, that purport to explain the complexity of the world and offer remedies that will perfect it. . . . Ideologies are substitutes for true knowledge, and ideologues are always dangerous when they come to power, because a simple-minded I-know-it-all approach is no match for the complexity of existence.

That is sound advice to us all as we listen to ideologues in power today.

In verse 20, the Creator Who designed us, says, "And the rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you." I'm not going to argue with Him, unless I first choose to deny His existence.  Deterrence works.  I also know it because when my eldest daughter would get in trouble as a child and got appropriately punished, her younger sister, by two years, made sure she never did the same thing.

And then at the end of chapter 19, comes the verse that is difficult for modern ideologues to accept.  It reads, "Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot."  Commentators have written much about this verse. You can look them all up. I do believe in showing true pity which is defined as "the feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering and misfortunate of others". So, pity is shown to the victims of the crime, not the perpetrators. Forgiveness may be extended to the criminal, but again as we saw earlier in Deuteronomy, that is up to the victim if they are still alive or their next of kin if not -- it is not up to us or up to the courts or the state.

It seems we have strayed away from that principle as well. Is it any wonder we find ourselves living in a world that just can't seem to get it together?

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Are We Protecting the Wrong People In our Sanctuary Cities? Scripture Says We May Well Be.

[photo courtesy of Center for American Progress]

Deuteronomy 19:11-14 -- Who Cities of Refuge Aren't For

In our last study, we looked are the first ten verses of Deuteronomy 19 which provided for us a valid use of Cities of Refuge.  They were to protect from the "avenger of blood" those who unintentionally killed someone.  This section tells us who we should not let hide in the Cities of Refuge.

Verses 11-12 tell us what the Israelites were to do with those who "hated" someone and attacked them in a way which would kill them. Such a person would also seek "refuge" in one of the cities so designated.  However, the city elders were to go to the City of Refuge, take the intentional murderer from there and deliver him to the proper "avenger of blood" -- usually a relative of the victim. And the avenger of blood was to deal with him in kind -- that is, the murderer would die.

Verse 13 tells the Israelites that they are not to have "pity" on him. If they wanted things to go well for them, they were to "purge the blood of the innocent from their land".  Commentator David Guzik says, on this verse, that "God was just as concerned about the guilty being punished as He was that the innocent be protected."

So, where have we gone wrong today?  Well, for starters we have a hard time distinguishing between wilful or intentional murders and unintentional ones. In fact, we look for ways to turn what may well be intentional into unintentional.  Second, we seem to take a lot of pity on those that Scripture would tell us not to have pity on -- out and out hardened criminals. "There but for the grace of God, go I" we say, so "let him go free!"  I believe in having mercy and pity, and I believe the Bible and the Christian life call for it. But I also believe that God says "no pity" for certain things, especially within the realm of criminal justice.

While we can argue over the merits or demerits of capital punishment, we can hopefully agree that if we were to be true to Scripture, we would as a minimum, be incarcerating intentional murderers for life.

Now what is interesting to me is that in the Old Testament, the avenger was a family member. These were close kin of the victim. There is some argument to be made that they and they alone could, today, exercise forgiveness.  That is not the job or the right of the state.

Finally, in the last verse of this section, Moses, in his Second Sermon to the Israelites tells them that they are not to "move their neighbor's boundary mark" -- because that was all part of their inheritance in the land that God gave them.

Again we turn to David Guzik for some help with this.  He says, "God here established and supported the basic right to private property. When your neighbor has a lawful landmark, you must respect it -- and are forbidden to change it as you might please."  That remains a basic right in today societies -- the right to hold property.  Guzik goes on, "God has clearly entrusted certain possessions to certain individuals, and other people or states are not permitted to take that property without due process of law."

This speaks volumes to the whole idea of robbing and looting that we see run rampant, and worse still hearing some of our legislators condone it as appropriate reparations for things that were done to people centuries ago by the forefathers of the storeowners being robbed and looted.

And then Moses gives the people one other piece of advice in this passage -- what we may call some sound spiritually-based advice -- "do not ignore what the 'men of old' have set up when doing the work of the Lord. Guzik says, "Many a young man, or a new man, has greatly hindered his own work by being a revolutionary -- and ignoring the 'landmarks' which the men of old have set."  Moving forward successfully cannot be accomplished without keeping in mind the lessons of the past.

So, lots to digest here in these four verses.  I would welcome your thoughts and comments on any aspect above.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.