I needed this!
Remedial Bible Reading… Deuteronomy means ‘Second Law,’ but it is really a repeat of the previous couple of books of the Old Testament. I like repetition with a twist, more details, slightly different perspective as it helps me absorb the material more thoroughly and accurately.
First time through is a bit overwhelming but the second time through I pick up a lot more of the details, situations and perspectives of The Bible and life in those days.
God speaks to us in the Old Testament; Jesus speaks to us in the New Testament but nothing is as it seems because God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit has worked in various ways throughout the Scriptures and continue to do so today.
Life in those days same as today?
Did priests lead armies into battle in those days?
The priest shall stand before the army, and shall speak to the people in this manner: Hear O Israel, You join battle this day against your enemies, let not your heart be dismayed, be not afraid, do not give back, fear ye them not, because the Lord your God is in the midst of you against your enemies, to deliver you from danger.
Saying God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son, and The Holy Spirit are only with us, is in our midst as we fight the enemy, and will deliver us from danger.
God is only on our side and the Devil is with them so we will win victory for sure?
Is this is Old Testament thinking?
Apply Jesus and the New Testament and address the battle within each of us first…
The enemy is sin and sin comes in all forms some known to us and others hidden in denial, justification, and rationalization in both our conscious and unconscious minds.
We are afraid at times of partial death and misery through sin and ultimately death of our body.
That’s why we deal with the secular world, the physical world including our own body, the Lord’s Temple, a gift for us, yet ascend to a spiritual being while still living on this earth.
What man is there, that hath build a new house, and hath not dedicated it? Let him go and return to the house. Lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
Planted a vineyard and not as yet made it to be common?
Espoused a wife, and not taken her?
What man is there that is fearful, and faint hearted? Let him go, and return to his house, lest he make the hearts of his brethren to fear, as he himself is possessed with fear.
What reward of God is fear preventing you from reaping?
Rules of God’s war to use the Israelites to free them of abominations to other gods:
If at any time thou come to fight against a city, thou shall first offer it peace. If they receive it, and open the gates to thee, all the people that are therein, shall be saved, and shall serve thee paying tribute.
But if they will not make peace, and shall begin war against thee, thou shalt besiege it. And when the Lord thy God shall deliver it into thy hands, thou shalt slay all that are therein of the male sex, with the edge of the sword, excepting women and children, cattle and other things, that are in the city.
So shalt thou do to all cities that are at a great distance from thee, and are not of these cities which thou shalt receive in possession.
But of those cities that shall be given thee, thou shalt suffer none at all to live…. Lest they teach you to do all the abominations which they have done to their gods; and you should sin against the Lord your God.
The last chapter is dark, as dark as the darkest part of the Old Testament.
Whether one’s sin is here or there, it is all the same–face the war within and thou shalt take away the evil out of the midst of thee.
Day 65: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; Face the War Within and Take Evil Out of the Midst of Thee!
Read and inspired by the Old Testament, The Book of Deuteronomy Chapters 17-22
Bible Notes:
This Book is so called Deuteronomy, which means a second law, because it repeats, explains, and expands the Law given on Mount Sinai. It contains three discourses of Moses encouraging the Israelites, who will shortly enter The Promised Land, to observe the Law.
The last four chapters describe the last days and the death of Moses on Mount Nebo in the Land of Moab.
Deuteronomy Chapter 17: Victims must be animals without blemish; Idolaters are to be slain; Settlement of controversies; Selection of a king; Duties of a king.
Wherein there is any blemish or any fault.
And they shall be stoned. By the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he die that is to be slain. Let no man be put to death, when only one beareth witness against him.
Which the Lord thy God shall choose
And thou shalt ask of them, and they shall show thee the truth of the judgment.
But he that will be proud, and refuse to obey the commandment of the priest… that man shall die, and thou shalt take away the evil from Israel. And all the people hearing it shall fear, that no one afterwards swell with pride.
Thou mayst not make a man f another nation king, that is not thy brother.
He shall not have many wives, that my allure his mind…
He shall copy out to himself the Deuteronomy of this law in a volume… and he shall have it with him, and shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and keep his words and ceremonies, that are commanded in the law; and that his heart be not lifted up with pride over his brethren…
Deuteronomy Chapter 18: Support of priests and Levites; Abominations to be avoided; Promise of Christ; The sign of a false prophet.
The priests and Levites… for the Lord himself is their inheritance.
For the Lord thy God hath chosen him (Levites) of all thy tribes, to stand and to minister to the name of the Lord, him and his sons forever.
Neither let there be found among you that consulteth soothsayers, or observeth dreams and omens, any wizard, nor charmer, nor consulteth pythonic spirits or fortune tellers, or that seeketh the truth from the dead. For the Lord abhorreth all these things, and for these abominations he will destroy them at thy coming.
Promise of Christ—the Lord thy God will raise up to thee a prophet of thy nations and of thy brethren like unto me: him thou shalt hear, as thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the assembly was gathered together, and sadist: Let me not hear any more the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see any more of this exceedingly great fire, lest I die. And the Lord said to me: They have spoken all things well. I will raise them up a prophet out of the midst of their brethren like to thee: and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. And he that will not hear his words, which he shall speak in my name, I will be the revenger.
Fear of the Israelites (Exodus Chapter 20:18): after Moses received the Ten Commandments up on Mount Sinai (same as Mount Horeb)
And all the people saw the voices and the flames, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mount smoking; and being terrified and struck with fear, they stood afar off, saying to Moses: Speak thou to us, lest and we will hear: let not the Lord speak to us, lest we die.
But the prophet, who being corrupted with pride, shall speak in my name things that I did not command him to say, or in the name of strange gods, shall be slain… but the prophet had forged it by the pride of his mind: and therefore thou shalt not fear him.
Deuteronomy Chapter 19: Cities of Refuge; Manslaughter; Premeditated murder; Landmarks; Witnesses; Punishment of false witness.
Thou shalt separate to three cities in the midst of the land
That innocent blood may not be shed in the midst of the land
Thou shalt not take nor remove they neighbor’s landmark…
One witness shall not rise up against any man, whatsoever the sin or wickedness be: but in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall stand.
They shall find that the false witness hath told a lie against his brother…
That others hearing may fear, and may not dare to do such things. Thou shalt not pity him, but shalt require life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Deuteronomy Chapter 20: Priest’s encouragement in battle; Exceptions from military service; Fate of vanquished cities; Fruitful trees may not be destroyed.
The priest shall stand before the army, and shall speak to the people in this manner: Hear O Israel, You join battle this day against your enemies, let not your heart be dismayed, be not afraid, do not give back, fear ye them not, because the Lord your God is in the midst of you against your enemies, to deliver you from danger.
What man is there, that hath build a new house, and hath not dedicated it? Let him go and return to the house. Lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
Planted a vineyard and not as yet made it to be common?
Espoused a wife, and not taken her?
What man is there that is fearful, and faint hearted? Let him go, and return to his house, lest he make the hearts of his brethren to fear, as he himself is possessed with fear.
If at any time thou come to fight against a city, thou shall first offer it peace. If they receive it, and open the gates to thee, all the people that are therein, shall be saved, and shall serve thee paying tribute.
But if they will not make peace, and shall begin war against thee, thou shalt besiege it. And when the Lord thy God shall deliver it into thy hands, thou shalt slay all that are therein of the male sex, with the edge of the sword, excepting women and children, cattle and other things, that are in the city.
So shalt thou do to all cities that are at a great distance from thee, and are not of these cities which thou shalt receive in possession.
But of those cities that shall be given thee, thou shalt suffer none at all to live…. Lest they teach you to do all the abominations which they have done to their gods; and you should sin against the Lord your God.
Deuteronomy Chapter 21: Purification after a secret murder; Marriage with a captive; Birthright of firstborn to be respected; Punishment of an unruly son; Hanged man to be buried the same day.
The corpse of a man slain, and it is not known who is guilty of the murder…
And the guilt of the blood shall be taken from them, and thou shalt be free from the innocent’s blood, that was shed, when thou shalt have done what the Lord hath commanded thee.
And seest in the number of captive a beautiful woman, and lovest her, and wilt have her to wife, thou shalt bring her into thy house… and after that thou shall go into her, and shalt sleep with her, and she shall be thy wife, Bit if afterwards she please thee not thou shalt let her go free, but thou mayest not sell her for money nor oppress her by might because thou hast humbled her.
If a man have two wives, one beloved, and the other hated…
This our son is rebellious and stubborn, he slighteth hearing our admonitions, he giveth himself to reveling, and to debauchery and banquetings. The people of the city shall stone him: and he shall die, that you may take away the evil out of the midst of you, and all Israel hearing it may be afraid.
When a man hath committed a crime for which he is to be punished for death, and being condemned to die is hanged on a gibber, his body shall not remain upon the tree, but shall be buried the same day…
Deuteronomy Chapter 22: Charity to neighbors; Neither sex may wear other’s apparel; A bird must not be taken with her young; A wall must be built around a new roof; No mingling of seed, animals, and cloth; Strings to be worn on garments; Punishment for false charges against a wife; Punishment for adultery; Punishment for rape in the city; Punishment for rape in the country; Punishment for deducing the unmarried; Incest forbidden.
A woman shall not be clothed with man’s apparel, neither shall a man use a woman’s apparel: for he that doeth these things is abominable before God.
Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together. Thou shalt not wear a garment that is woven of woolen and linen together.
I took this woman to wife, and going into her, I found her not a virgin… he layeth a charge a very ill name… shall take that man, and beat him, condemning him… but if what he charged her with is true… the men of the city shall stone her to death… done a wicked thing in Israel… to play the whore in her father’s house and thou shalt take away the evil out of the midst of thee.
He alone shall die. The damsel shall suffer nothing, neither is she guilty of death… al also did the damsel suffer, She was alone in the field: she cried, and there was no man to help her.
No Man shall take his father’s wife, not remove his covering.
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