Do you think that Rahab had to shave her head and clip her nails when Salmon, being a captive from the city of Jericho?
Do you think that perhaps the law concerning the firstborn and the sons of two wives might be a hearkening back to Jacob and his sons? What did it mean for David, seeing that Solomon was not his firstborn? But then, David had more than just two wives; his first wife, Michal, had no children, and his older sons Absalom and Amnon were killed. Amnon was his firstborn, Absalom his second. But what of Chileab, Abigail's son? Abigail was a wise woman, was she not? I wonder what happened to them. I would need to reread 2 Samuel to understand the politics and events that brought it about that Solomon was granted the kingdom, though David had more than six sons by the time Solomon was born.
How many children do you think were truly rebellious in Israel, knowing that their total dissolution could result in a stoning? Then again, why wasn't Sampson stoned under the Law, unless his parents feared the position that he should have too much? I cannot say that I can judge: I'm still just learning to parent. There are all kinds of perhaps that might be said about Sampson and his parents.
Do you ever look at an obscure law in the Bible, such as not allowing a neighbor's animal or possession to be lost and just ignore it, and wonder how on earth that applies to you?
In the case of an donkey wandering off, it likely doesn't, directly. The number of people I know that own donkeys I can count on one hand (and it doesn't take every finger). Directly, I will likely have no opportunity to return an ox to a "brother". Possibly. You never know. But hind the livestock law? Well, for one: look out for each other. Do the right thing. You know that donkey isn't just wandering around on its own. You know that purse lying neglected on the pew belongs to someone. You know the hundred dollar bill on the walk isn't yours and that someone's going to miss it. Or twenty dollar bill. You can ignore these things, say they're not your problem, or you can step up and look out for someone else. When they come looking for it, give it up freely.
What about not wearing mixed textiles or pulling an ox with a donkey or sowing a vineyard with two kinds of seed? Because let's face it: we do that stuff a lot. How many of us have polyblends of some type in our clothes? Cotton and spandex anyone? How many of us mix our seeds in our garden: tomatoes and peppers and beans all planted together? But we know, that spiritually speaking, there are things that just don't mix: you can not serve two masters, after all. You will love one and hate the other. Maybe that's a bit of a stretch, here, but do you see my point?
I was talking with my husband just last night about how sometimes you get into the Law and you have difficulty feeling like it's relevant. But it is. You just have to think about it more. God didn't randomly and arbitrarily hand down laws for no real reason. Many of them protected the Israelites from disease and chaos; many of them set up a form of government and a code to live by; all of them taught the Israelites principles by which they could be holy. Those same principles will teach us to be holy. Christ did say, after all, that if you love Him, His Word would abide in you. Guess what. Deuteronomy is definitely His Word. Christ loved Deuteronomy. He quoted from it. A lot. Just go check out those "Red Letters" sometime with a Bible that has cross-references and see how many times Deuteronomy comes up. I gaurantee: a lot.
Tomorrow's Reading: Deuteronomy 22:13-23:14
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