DEUTERONOMY LESSON 26


     We will begin this lesson in Deuteronomy 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 unclean in her: then
let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give [it] in her hand,
and send her out of his house."

     Jesus spoke of divorce as being for the hardness of men's hearts.
There are reasons that make divorce permissible, but divorce is the
breaking apart of a family unit that God intended to be forever.
Spiritual, or physical, adultery is grounds for divorce. The
uncleanness is not revealed to us. Whatever it is, can be assumed a
shameful thing. In a marriage, they two become one flesh. In a
divorce, they two must be divided. He has removed her from his life,
and sent her home.

     Deuteronomy 24:2 "And when she is departed out of his house, she
may go and be another man's [wife]."

     The bill of divorcement makes her a free woman. She may re-marry,
under these circumstances.

     Deuteronomy 24:3 "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;"

     In this case, she would be free to marry again, if she desired.
This is the same situation as in  the first divorce. She is no longer
bound as one with the second husband.

     Deuteronomy 24:4 "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 the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to
sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance."

     If the first husband truly hated her enough to get the divorce in
the first place, why would he want her back now? Her defilement was in
sleeping with the second husband, while her first husband was living.
God allowed this, however, because her husband had sent her away. He
would not allow her to go back to her first husband, after sleeping
with her second husband.

     Deuteronomy 24:5  "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."

     In a previous lesson, we saw the exemption from battle for those
who had just married. This year of not being burdened by other
obligations, gave the newlyweds a time to get to know each other.
Their marriage would be more grounded, if they could have this time to
be together and grow closer. His thoughts should be of his bride
during this year long honeymoon.

     Deuteronomy 24:6  "No man shall take the nether or the upper
millstone to pledge: for he taketh [a man's] life to pledge."

     This just means that a person should not take in pledge the
thing, that the person borrowing uses to make a living. They would not
have a way to live, if this were taken.

     Deuteronomy 24:7  "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."

     In our society, that is called kidnapping. In almost every case,
the person is held for ransom. We see that God established the
punishment for this as death. People are made in the image of God, and
should not be treated as merchandise.

     Deuteronomy 24:8  "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."

     The 13th chapter of Leviticus goes into great detail about the
way to handle leprosy. We discovered in our study of that, that
leprosy symbolizes sin. The real leprosy, or the symbolic leprosy
{sin}, is contagious, and must be dealt with carefully.

     Deuteronomy 24:9 "Remember what the LORD thy God did unto Miriam
by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt."

     Miriam became leprous and stayed that way for 7 days, when she
spoke out about Moses marrying the Ethiopian woman. Her Leprosy was an
outward show of the sin that was within her.

     Deuteronomy 24:10  "When thou dost lend thy brother any thing,
thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge."

     A man's home is his castle. His home should be a very private
place for him and his family. It is not a place of merchandise. The
debtor must bring the pledge out of the house, and give to the lender.

     Deuteronomy 24:11 "Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom
thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee."

     The lender must not embarrass the man before his family, by
coming in the house to take the pledge.

     Deuteronomy 24:12 "And if the man [be] poor, thou shalt not sleep
with his pledge:"

     The pledge is the same thing we would call collateral. The loan
is made, because there is something of value backing up the loan. In
this Scripture above, God says the man may need to use it, while it is
collateral. Let him keep it in his possession, if he is poor. This is,
probably, speaking of the man's garment that he wraps up with at night
to keep warm.

     Deuteronomy 24:13 "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 the
LORD thy God."

     To keep his garment, that he must have to keep warm, is extremely
cruel. God will see the generosity of the lender, who lets the man
wrap up in his garment at night. God will bless that lender
abundantly.  That man is in right standing with God, because he loved
God enough to obey Him and his fellowman enough to have compassion on
him.

     Deuteronomy 24:14  "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:"

     Just because you have the rule over someone, is no reason to be
cruel to him. God taught us to care for the poor and needy. This would
be especially true, if he worked for you. We are not responsible to
help those in need all around the world, but we are responsible to
help those who live around us that we know of.

     Deuteronomy 24:15 "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 the LORD, and it be
sin unto thee."

     To hold back wages someone has earned, is cruel. That would be
especially true, if they were poor. The person working is depending on
the money for food and raiment. This is saying, pay him at the end of
each day's work. God would punish those who do not pay their
laborers.

     Deuteronomy 24:16 "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."

     This speaks of each person being responsible for his own sin.
The heathens around them killed whole families for the sins of the
father, or the son. This was a break from that. God, on rare occasion
perhaps, might inflict the sin of the father on the son. This is
forbidding the judges of their land to do this.

     Deuteronomy 24:17  "Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the
stranger, [nor] of the fatherless; nor take a widow's raiment to
pledge:"

     We see in this, that the same rules were for everyone. The
specific mention of the widow's raiment not being taken in pledge, is
because she would need it to wear. They were instructed, over and
over, to help the widow, the orphan, and the stranger.

     Deuteronomy 24:18 "But thou shalt remember that thou wast a
bondman in Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore
I command thee to do this thing."

     They should remember hardship. That should make them more
compassionate for those who had less than they did. If you have walked
in the same shoes as someone, you have more sympathy for him. God
redeemed them, and they should help these less fortunate.

     Deuteronomy 24:19  "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 the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of
thine hands."

     The edges of the field were not to be picked. The leftovers in
the field, when they harvested, were left for the poor to pick up and
live of. This was God's way of providing for the stranger, the
fatherless, and the widow. Their generosity to others would bring them
blessings from God.

     Deuteronomy 24:20 "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."

     This, again, is saying, leave a little for the less fortunate.

     Deuteronomy 24:21 "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."

     We see that the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow would not
go hungry. God made provision for them, when He gave Moses the law for
the people. The family of Jacob had gone into Egypt, because there was
a famine in their land. God provided for them, as He provides here.

     Deuteronomy 24:22 "And thou shalt remember that thou wast a
bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this
thing."

     This, in a way, is paying back for the things God had done for
them in Egypt. Of course, they could never completely pay Him back.
This is their way of thanking God for their deliverance.







                        Deuteronomy 26 Questions


1.  Why does the woman find no favor in her husband's eyes in verse 1?
2.  What can he do to get out of this situation?
3.  What did Jesus say divorce was for?
4.  Divorce is permissible, but it is really what?
5.  __________ or __________ adultery is grounds for divorce.
6.  Is the woman free to re-marry, after her divorce is final?
7.  What would be her condition, after the second husband gave her a
    divorce, or died?
8.  Would it be permissible for her first husband to re-marry her?
9.  What was her defilement?
10. How long should a man stay at home with his new wife?
11. Why is it necessary for him to stay home?
12. What is verse 6 speaking of?
13. What, in our society, is the instance, in verse 7, called?
14. People are made in the image of God, and should not be treated as
    ______________.
15. Where do we find detailed information about leprosy?
16. How long was Miriam leprous?
17. What caused her leprosy?
18. What is the restriction on taking a pledge in verse 10?
19. Where shall he wait for the pledge?
20. Why should he not sleep with the poor man's pledge?
21. What would we call the pledge today?
22. What will God do, if he lets the borrower sleep in his pledge?
23. How should you treat people who are working for you?
24. Why should you not hold back a person's wages?
25. The father shall not be put to death for the ___________.
26. Why should you not take a widow's garment to pledge?
27. What does verse 18 say, they should remember?
28. What should they do, when they harvest?
29. How had God made provision for the fatherless, the widow, and the
    stranger not to go hungry?
30. How are the Israelites trying to pay back a little for what God
    has done for them?