DEUTERONOMY LESSON 25
We will begin this lesson in Deuteronomy 23:1 "He that is wounded
in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into
the congregation of the LORD."
This nation was chosen of God to be a holy nation. They were to
preserve their bodies in its entire function as men. This is speaking
of this as if it is a mutilation of the body. The person with this
injury could no longer function in his manhood and therefore was
excluded. All of this was done away with in Jesus. This is not the
Christian attitude at all.
Deuteronomy 23:2 "A bastard shall not enter into the congregation
of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the
congregation of the LORD."
This somewhat falls into the same category as above. We saw in
the last lesson, how the LORD felt about sex aside from the marriage
bed. The severity of killing the two participants would have avoided
this situation. The Hebrews were strong on family heritage. The
bastard would have no family heritage. This, again, is done away with
in the LORD Jesus.
Deuteronomy 23:3 "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the
congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they
not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:"
This is an exclusion of the children of incest. The Ammonites and
the Moabites were the descendents of the incestuous affair of Lot and
his two daughters. Again, we must emphasize the fact that Jesus paid
the price for all of these sins, and there is no such restriction in
the church today.
Deuteronomy 23:4 "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."
A more recent sin they had committed, was trying to curse Israel.
The Ammonites and the Moabites were enemies of Israel. They wanted to
curse Israel, and instead, they were cursed themselves.
Deuteronomy 23:5 "Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken
unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing
unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee."
There is a detailed discussion of this in the book of Numbers. We
remember, that an ass spoke to Balaam to keep him from going to curse
Israel.
Deuteronomy 23:6 "Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their
prosperity all thy days for ever."
God did not want Israel making a peace treaty with them ever.
They were never friends with Israel. Israel was not to help them in
any way. They had angered God.
Deuteronomy 23:7 "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."
The Edomites descended from Esau, who was the brother of Jacob
{Israel}. "Abhor" means loathe, or detest. The Egyptians had
befriended Joseph and, in turn, Jacob and his family during the
famine. They took Jacob's family in, and they lived there about 400
years. They were not treated as slaves, until the later part of their
stay. Egypt is a place of refuge. God will not forget them for that.
Deuteronomy 23:8 "The children that are begotten of them shall
enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation."
There were many marriages between the Egyptians and the
Israelites. It appears, after the third generation, they were
considered as Israelites.
Deuteronomy 23:9 "When the host goeth forth against thine
enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing."
The wars that Israel fought were not for carnal reasons. They
were thought of as holy wars, directed of God. They must remember
this, and not do things contrary to God's will, even in battle.
Deuteronomy 23:10 "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:"
This is in connection with the previous verse on going to war.
This is speaking of not bringing uncleanness into the camp. There were
a number of things that would make them unclean, like coming into
contact with a dead body.
Deuteronomy 23:11 "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]."
The washing was both literal and ceremonial. They must not enter
the camp, until they are cleansed. The camp of the LORD was holy. No
unclean thing was to enter.
Deuteronomy 23:12 "Thou shalt have a place also without the
camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:" Deuteronomy 23:13 "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:"
This is speaking of going to the bathroom. They must dig a hole
in the ground to be used as their bathroom, and then cover it with
dirt to keep down contamination.
Deuteronomy 23:14 "For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of
thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee;
therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in
thee, and turn away from thee."
The camp had to be physically and ceremonially clean, because the
presence of God with them, made the camp holy.
Deuteronomy 23:15 "Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the
servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:"
A slave that had escaped and run to them for safety, should not
be turned over to the master he escaped from. Sometimes, these foreign
masters were so cruel to their slaves, they would rather die than go
back. If the slave has taken such a drastic step, he should be allowed
to stay.
Deuteronomy 23:16 "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."
The Israelites should be able to relate to this escaped slave.
They had been slaves in Egypt, and God had freed them. He should be
able to choose a place to live among them, without them oppressing
him.
Deuteronomy 23:17 "There shall be no whore of the daughters of
Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel."
There would be none, because they stoned them to death, if they
were found out, to keep the race pure and holy before the LORD. A
sodomite is the same as a homosexual. They were named sodomites,
because the sin of homosexuality was the reason Sodom was destroyed by
fire and brimstone from heaven.
Deuteronomy 23:18 "Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or
the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow:
for even both these [are] abomination unto the LORD thy God."
The offerings were to be wholesome, as well. It appears, that
prostitution by both sexes was a form of idolatrous worship. The
Hebrews were not to associate themselves in any of these practices.
The money received from whoredom of either male or female, was not
money to be used in service to God. It was unholy. The dog, in the
Scripture above, is speaking of a male prostitute.
Deuteronomy 23:19 "Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy
brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is
lent upon usury:"
"Usury" is unfair interest on anything. The Hebrews were to help
each other, not to charge them interest.
Deuteronomy 23:20 "Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury;
but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy
God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land
whither thou goest to possess it."
The Hebrew was under no obligation to the stranger, and could
charge him interest on anything he loaned him.
Deuteronomy 23:21 "When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy
God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely
require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee."
We saw an example of this very thing in Ananias and Sapphira.
The story is in chapter 5 of Acts. They had promised to give all the
money to God, and they held back a portion for themselves. God killed
each of them.
Deuteronomy 23:22 "But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be
no sin in thee."
Had they not vowed to God they would do this and had held out the
money, it would not have been sin. It was lying to God that was sin.
Deuteronomy 23:23 "That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt
keep and perform; [even] a freewill offering, according as thou hast
vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth."
Our word should be our bond. We should not say anything that we
will not do. When we say something, it should be just as binding, as
if we had written it down and had it notarized. Whatsoever we promise,
that we must do. The 30th chapter of Numbers goes into detail on vows
we make.
Deuteronomy 23:24 "When thou comest into thy neighbour's
vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure;
but thou shalt not put [any] in thy vessel."
We see that it was not stealing to eat grapes, while you were in
the neighbor's vineyard. There were always the gleanings left for this
very thing. It is wrong, however, to harvest the neighbor's crop to
store away for yourself.
Deuteronomy 23:25 "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 neighbour's standing corn."
This is the same message as the grapes. It is alright to eat some
to quench your hunger. Their crop should not be used for you to make a
living, however. The crop is your neighbor's to harvest and sell, or
do what ever he wants to with it. To take more than you could eat
while standing there, would be stealing from your neighbor.
Deuteronomy 25 Questions
1. What is meant by verse 1?
2. When was this restriction done away with?
3. A bastard child should not enter the congregation for __________
generations.
4. The Hebrews were strong on __________ heritage.
5. Who are the Ammonites and Moabites?
6. What were the reasons given, in verse 4, for them not entering the
congregation.
7. They wanted to curse Israel, but instead, were _________
themselves.
8. Where do we read more about Balaam?
9. What must Israel not do for them forever?
10. The Edomites descended from __________.
11. What does "abhor" mean?
12. What had Egypt done for Israel?
13. When could an Egyptian join the congregation?
14. What kind of wars did Israel wage?
15. What should they do, if they are unclean?
16. The washing was both __________ and ____________.
17. What should they do, when they went to the bathroom?
18. Why did the camp have to be physically and ceremonially clean?
19. What should they do with a slave, that had run to them for safety?
20. Quote Deuteronomy chapter 23 verse 17.
21. What is a sodomite?
22. ______________ by both sexes was a form of idolatrous worship.
23. The dog, in verse 18, is speaking of what?
24. What is "usury"?
25. Who could the Hebrew charge usury?
26. Who are two, who lied to God, and were killed for it?
27. Our word should be our ________.
28. Can you eat of your neighbor's vineyard? Explain.
29. Does this apply to other crops?
30. What are they forbidden to do to their neighbor's crop?
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