Deuteronomy Chapters 19-24

At chapter 19 Moses reiterates the instructions on how they ought to create Cities of Refuge for slayer to flee to (for right justice in the case of accidental manslaughter) but in the case of pre-meditation there was to be no mercy.

Then from verse 14 to 21 there are just some instructions for being neighbors and getting along which we have already covered in general. There is value in reading them but it is reiteration.

In chapter 20, we gain some interesting insights on how they nation would approach war. We will read it quickly because it is so reasonable and logical – verse 1 of chapter 20

1 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for YAHAVAH thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Faith in Him, right? That is the call. Do NOT fear your enemy. In my estimation those sold out to Him today ought to maintain a similar mindset with Yeshua’s advice coming into play which was,

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

This of course was spoken to them/then when sheol was not yet overcome and it obviously refers to YAHAVAH.

Note that even then the word destroy there is to mar and diminish and not wipe out completely.

Then listen to verse 2

2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,

It is fascinating fact but anciently a country would never go to war without bringing their priest with them to allow their respective God to side with them in the resistance.

Again, this was anciently. The very fact that in a country like the United States to go to war lead by a religious leader would have to include numerous representations huh?

And in this very fact we are confronted by which God actually runs and represents this country, right?

I mean our various religions thriving in this country battle over who has the right God, but when the Nation goes to war, which God is really at the helm?

Is it the God of Calvinism? Mormonism? Catholicism? Muslims?

I mean we’ve got a ton of representations but someone we just close our eyes to the fact that it is one God leading the way.

This speaks volumes to the way to interpret religion in the US verses government, war, politics and the rest.

Just had to point that out – and add that I do believe that fulfillment actually solves the problem better than any other.

Now from verses 5 – 9 we have YAHAVAH tell Moses what the Officers should say to those about to go into battle. And it is really interesting as you will see.

5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.

In other words, have you considered what going to war will mean if you have built a house? Then verse 6

6 And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.

In other words, have you planted a vineyard and have not eaten of it yet and now you are going to war? And finally verse 7

7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

Same with taking a wife then finally,

8 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.

And then once all of that has been said, we read at verse 9

9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.

And then at verse 10 we are given instructions on what to do when they actually approach a city to engage.

Isn’t that a remarkable approach? It gives the men EVERY possible out to not engage, to return home whether it be from worry over their home, to their vineyard to taking a wife or even if they are afraid.

Now, don’t take this approach wrongly – it allowed for such men to support the wars in numerous other ways and what this says to me is YAHAVAH showed His wisdom by making a way for such men to not go if they were not inclined.

Decades ago, I read Plato’s Republic and in it he too has such a reasonable approach to some things that I believe would make for a better society especially in areas of education, and government.

I see this approach as being so darn superior to the “too bad, you’re going to fight, its your duty and if you don’t you’re a damn coward” plan we seem to have in place today.

To me this biblical approach ought to be part of a global Geneva Convention thing where every country is made to recruit and draft – but for some reason we won’t do it. It would improve the world.

Anyway, something to think about.

From verse ten to the end of the chapter we are given more specifics on going to war including,

10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.

So, peace if possible – and this is speaking to cities outside of the forbidden seven by the way.. But if the city is not willing, then

12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:
13 And when YAHAVAH thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:
14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which YAHAVAH thy God hath given thee.
15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
16 But of the cities of these people, which YAHAVAH thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as YAHAVAH thy God hath commanded thee:

And the reason for this is???

18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against YAHAVAH your God.

Then we get a little wisdom from YAHAVAH, saying,

19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down to employ them in the siege:
20 Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.

At this point let’s move on to chapter 21 and 24 which to me are some of the most fascinating chapters in Deuteronomy – so look out – and I am going to do more reading than usual but the reading is fascinating.

Verses 1-9 of chapter 21 begin with instructions pointed at how do deal with the situation of finding a dead body in a field without any clue of how it was killed.

Bottom line it’s the duty of the elders whose land is closest to the dead who are in charge of offering up sacrifice for it so that it does not taint the land – all so that their land is not defiled.

Interesting read – and only pertinent to the idea of the Holiness required by them to have access to Him.

But at verse 10 we get into some real weeds folks. Ready?

10 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and YAHAVAH thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,
11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;

Now remember, this was with respect to Nations that were not of the Seven forbidden.

12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
13 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.

Note the making manner in which the man would make her his wife – he would go in unto her and “be her husband and she shall be thy wife.

It’s a plain biblical fact. And verses 12 – 13 seems to layout that before the man was to go in unto her she was to undergo a reduction in her beauty by his hand.

Would this be humbling to the woman? It would and this is an important point we will get to soon. Verse 14

14 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.

Now, we have to ask, “What does this really mean? Does it mean AFTER he has gone in unto her and made her his wife or does it mean, “After she is humbled by having her head shaved, nails trimmed, clothing replaced and mourning for her parents BUT before the man goes in unto her to make her his wife?”

I ask this because most Christian commentators suggest that the humbling was all the things YAHAVAH told him to do BEFORE going in and making her his wife.

Why? Because that fits the moral standards of our day. But I think, hard as this is to hear, the humbling of her means he slept with her, in addition to everything else, and because of this, the man must set her free if he did not like her anymore.

So we know the restrictions if he is displeased with her –

He can’t keep her as a slave, nor sell her, or make merchandize of her (as the text here expressly states) but that he must give her liberty by granting her a bill of divorce.

“On humbling her,” there are too many references in the text where this means he had sexual relations with her.

What is troubling is that it does not seem that his going in unto her was a mutual agreement – though it could have been.

I say this because the phrase, and “he humbled her,” often means that he violates her sexually.

Bottom line to all of this – I cannot spin it morally. Slaves from war were seen as property. We can choose to give the story a romantic view and believe that the Israelite who takes the woman would be charming and that the humbling was not the sexual relations but I personally do not believe that is contextual.

The reality is, YAHAVAH was working in and through a people from a barbaric place in time, and he was attempting to overcome issues in a way that would work all things considered.

I don’t feel like this is a really good answer but it appears that this was the case.

Okay, moving on to verse 15 where Moses writes

15 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:
16 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:
17 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.

Firstborn rules mean no preferential treatment even if the father hates the firstborn son.

Another fascinating set of passages begin at verse 18 –

18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

Whoa Nellie!!!

Now we recall that Leviticus 20:9 says,

“If there is anyone who curses his father or his mother, he shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother, his bloodguiltiness is upon him.”

First, a note on the last part of the verse. “His bloodguiltiness is upon him” basically means that he brought this punishment on himself.

In other words, the son knew what he was supposed to do, and he didn’t do it.

In the Leviticus passage, this law is part of a section dealing with egregious sins which were sins that would tear the nation and a family apart.

The trespass in question was not a casual, slip-of-the-tongue curse, but a deep-seated rebellion, an ongoing attitude of hatred that had to be dealt with severely.

In other words, the punishment was not for minor infractions but for determined defiance.

There are several things to keep in mind about this particular sin and about the law:

The sin was ongoing and continuous, it was deep seated, it was ongoing and it was the sin of an adult child threatening the Nation.

These kinds of laws are what theocracies do – and they still exist today in certain places of the world.

At verse 22-23 we find the basis for the people removing Yeshua’s body from the cross before sunset as its says,

22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which YAHAVAH thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

Jumping out to chapter 22 we read at verses 1-4

Deuteronomy 22:1 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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.

Then in a new area of concern verse 5 says

5 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 YAHAVAH thy God.

And another . . .

6 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:
7 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.

And another . . .

8 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.

And another . . .

9 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.

And another . . . From which we get the Apostolic direction for the Bride to not marry unequally yoked

10 Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together. (unequally yoked 2Co 6:14-16)

And another . . .

11 Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.

And another . . .

12 Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.

Then another with some intrigue . . .

13 If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her,
14 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:
15 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:
16 And the damsel’s father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her;
17 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.
18 And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him;
19 And they shall amerce (fine) 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.
20 But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel:
21 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.

And another . . .

22 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.

And another . . .

23 If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;
24 Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbor’s wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.
25 But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die:
26 But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbor, and slayeth him, even so is this matter:
27 For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.

And finally for chapter 22 . . .

28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;
29 Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.

Along with . . .

30 A man shall not take his father’s wife, nor discover his father’s skirt.

CHAPTER 23

1 He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of YAHAVAH.
2 A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of YAHAVAH; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of YAHAVAH.
3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of YAHAVAH; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of YAHAVAH for ever:
4 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.
5 Nevertheless YAHAVAH thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but YAHAVAH thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because YAHAVAH thy God loved thee.
6 Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.

7 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.
8 The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of YAHAVAH in their third generation.

9 When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.
10 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:
11 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.
12 Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:
13 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:
14 For YAHAVAH 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.

15 Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:
16 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.
17 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.
18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of YAHAVAH thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto YAHAVAH thy God.

19 Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:
20 Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that YAHAVAH thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto YAHAVAH thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for YAHAVAH thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.
22 But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.
23 That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto YAHAVAH thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.

24 When thou comest into thy neighbor’s vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.
25 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 neighbor’s standing corn.

And chapter 24

1 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.
2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife.
3 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;
4 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 YAHAVAH: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which YAHAVAH thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

And . . .

5 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.

And . . .

6 No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge: for he taketh a man’s life to pledge.

7 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.

8 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.
9 Remember what YAHAVAH thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt.

10 When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.
11 Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee.
12 And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge:
13 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 YAHAVAH thy God.

14 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:
15 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 YAHAVAH, and it be sin unto thee.

16 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.

17 Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow’s raiment to pledge:
18 But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and YAHAVAH thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing.

19 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 YAHAVAH thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands.
20 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.
21 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.
22 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.

Got all of that? Now lets wrap our time up today with the following reminder.

Does ANY of this really have ANY application to human beings today? Really?

And if we claim ONE POINT of it does, then we must admit that ALL POINTS of it does.

Oh remember, please remember, that this was the Mosaic Law for God’s covenant people, Israel, living in a theocracy as a means to bring about God’s solution to human sin.

The Old Testament Law is not in force today (as Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:23–25; Ephesians 2:15) make very plain.

What is utterly fascinating about this is Christians today will excuse away some passages (as for then and not now like taking slaves to wife, stoning rebellious sons or mixing fibers) but will INSIST on other things as having application like
The Sabbath day, tithes, and death to homosexuals, prostitutes and sinners.

It is NOT consistent – at all.

And we will end here.