Pastor Billington's Blog

Deuteronomy 22

The call to holiness continues:

• Don’t steal from your neighbor.
• In fact, you should even help save his livestock when possible.
• There is a fundamental difference between men and women that should be recognized and preserved.
• Take care of your resources, whether it be land or birds!
• Try to make your property as safe as possible.
• Keep things in their place, whether seeds, livestock, or fabric.
• Make your garments distinct from the heathen nations around you.
• Sexual purity is important.
• Sex is for marriage.
• Rape is afforded the death penalty if a woman is betrothed. If she isn’t, then the man must take her as his wife forever.

Thought for the day: Much of what we read here is just common sense. Unfortunately, our society is much more cavalier with sexual purity, but Christians shouldn’t be.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 (WEB) “For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor, not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God, that no one should take advantage of and wrong a brother or sister in this matter; because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified. For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. Therefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.”

Deuteronomy 21

The recap of the law continues:

• Unsolved murder leaves a stain on the land that must be recognized.
• War brides are warranted respect and rights, rather than treated simply as slaves.
• A husband is not to show favoritism with inheritance rights.
• Rebellious sons are not tolerated.
• Dead bodies of convicted criminals are not to be left hanging on the tree where they were killed.

Thought for the day: Similar to an unsolved murder, letting a body stay on display also defiled the land. Paul uses this to show that Jesus took our defilement away when He willingly died on a cross for our sin!

Galatians 3:13 (WEB) “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’ “

Deuteronomy 20

Can there be mercy in war? Here we see God allowing certain Israelites to avoid war, and even allowing the residents of the cities they were coming against to escape death. Why were some of their own allowed to avoid battle? The common denominator is desire. If you are distracted by hearth, home, or even fear, then you would be of no use in the coming battle, because the battle was going to be harsh. Some cities could surrender, but others would be taken by bloodshed. And then came the executions. It seems so harsh to us today, separated by millennia. However, the deeds of the cultures they were defeating were deemed so horrible that God didn’t want those deeds (many connected with their idolatry) to infect His people.

Thought for the day: There is a balance in the Christian life. While we do want to reach people, we also don’t want their deeds and ideas to become our deeds and ideas.

James 4:4 (WEB) “You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Deuteronomy 19

Additional reminders to the nation:

• There is a difference between manslaughter and murder.
• Those guilty of manslaughter are punished, but protected.
• (As long as they follow the rules!)
• Property lines are protected.
• One person is not enough to accuse someone of a crime.
• False witnesses are punished by what they wanted to do to someone else!

Thought for the day: Many of these rules echo laws in other civilizations, and even form the basis for what we have in society today. Even though we are part of a heavenly kingdom, we are still subject to the civil laws we find ourselves living under.

Romans 12:1-2 (WEB) “Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. Therefore he who resists the authority withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment.”

Deuteronomy 18

The reminders continue:

• The priests are God’s and are taken care of from the offerings.
• Don’t engage in the awful practices of the people who used to live in the land.
• God will provide a special prophet, and that prophet will only speak the truth!
• Any other prophets who presume to speak for God must speak the truth, or they will die.

Thought for the day: Of course, the prophet like Moses that was foretold is Jesus!

John 6:14 (WEB) “When therefore the people saw the sign which Jesus did, they said, ‘This is truly the prophet who comes into the world.’ “

Acts 3:22-23 (WEB) “For Moses indeed said to the fathers, ‘The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him in all things whatever he says to you. It will be that every soul that will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ “

Deuteronomy 17

Here we have more reminders for the community of faith:

• Idolatry is abhorrent to God.
• Don’t shirk your required offerings.
• A lack of holiness also affects the community.
• Judgment is absolute, but not arbitrary.
• If something is too hard to judge, take it to a higher court!
• Select a king that God wants.
• A king needs to be more concerned about God’s law than his own wealth.

Thought for the day: All of this is still true today, even though there needs to be some discernment regarding how to apply these principles. For example, some are much more applicable to a national context than a personal, and vice versa. However, greed, whether for money, possessions, or relationships, is wrong and destructive in all areas of life.

Luke 12:14 (WEB) “[Jesus] said to them, ‘Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.’ “

Deuteronomy 16

There were three feasts that males were required to attend in Israel, and each one commemorated something special. Passover commemorated the Israelites deliverance from slavery in Egypt, Weeks commemorated and celebrated the joy of the harvest, and Tabernacles commemorated the 40 years the Israelites spent wandering in the wilderness and God’s care of them.

Much of the rest of Deuteronomy is a review of the law, and the end of chapter 16 is a reminder of the need for honest judges and an admonition to refrain from idolatry.

Thought for the day: Even in lives that should be filled with worship, there are special times to worship God.

Hebrews 10:25 (WEB) “not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Deuteronomy 15

There is a deep recognition of community in God’s people. Debts against one another were forgiven every seven years. Even Hebrews that had become indentured servants were set free (unless they wanted to remain). And when they went, they were supposed to go with gifts! The poor weren’t to be discriminated against but instead cared for. If not, you risked God’s displeasure. Obedience was a way of giving God your best, and that is reflected in the sacrifices they brought.

Thought for the day: Do we feel the same community today? Do we desire to help others? Do we want to give God our best?

Romans 12:10 (WEB) “In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor prefer one another.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 (WEB) “whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.”

Deuteronomy 14

The Israelites were to be different than the world around them. This was expressed by the way they mourned, ate, and gave.

Thought for the day: We are to be different too!

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (WEB) “But we don’t want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you don’t grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”

Romans 12:2 (WEB) “Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

Matthew 6:19-21 (WEB) “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”