March 19: Deuteronomy 24-27

March 19, Deuteronomy 24-27

Deuteronomy 24 is a chapter of more various laws. If a man divorces a woman  because he found some indecency in her and she marries again, only to divorce (or be widowed) again, the 1st husband was not allowed to remarry her because she has been defiled (slept with another man). This is really the only Old Testament law about divorce. Then we get to learn about a few miscellaneous laws… A newly married man gets to stay home for a year from public service to get to know his wife, don't take a poor persons only cooking tool as a pledge (they could die if they can’t cook with it), kill the Israelite that steals another Israelite for forced labor, follow the rules for skin diseases and a stark reminder to always take care of the needy Israelites (poor). 

Deuteronomy 25 : Laws on justice, marriage and fair economics. It starts out explaining that a guilty man in a court of law may only be whipped/beaten with 40 ‘stripes’ or whips - no more (Wait until we read about the story of the crucifixion of Jesus… oh man it brings this to life!). the obligation of the brother-in-law to marry his widowed sister-in-law. If he refuses to marry her, she is to go into the presence of the elders, remove one of the man’s sandals, and spit in his face. Thus, humiliating him for not fulfilling his obligation of building up his dead brothers house. Then we learn that a woman is not to grab a man by his testicles in a fight and we also learn about the concept of being a man/woman of your word. They were not to carry 2 different weights when they went to buy and sell (basically cheating those that they are doing any commerce with).

Deuteronomy 26 is a recap of tithes and offerings for when the enter the Promised Land. They were to give God their first and best, as they said they would. Basically, as God gives them land, they are to give back to God for Him providing. God commanded the to obey this and they were cautioned again to keep the laws, so that it would go good for them!

Deuteronomy 27. This is a new section of Deuteronomy, which is a thorough recap of blessings and curses. When they enter the Promised Land, they are to set up an altar to God to remember what it is that God had done for them and their parents. 

To sum it all up:

• God commands us to obey Him and we are cautioned to keep the Lord always first, so that it will go good for us!
• Although a lot of this is ceremonial law (which Christ has fulfilled), we are to look at what God is calling us to - Obedience to Him and Him alone.