BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 25

“You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.” (Deuteronomy 25.4)

Preparing grain in the ancient world was a mundane, daily activity. The wheat was laid on the ground of a threshing floor and oxen were driven over it. As it was threshed, the grain would fall from the ears to the ground and the straw would cover it. This process would benefit both the oxen and the owner who had food for himself and his animals. However, the oxen could easily be distracted by the food on the ground (or just flat out hungry from being driven a round for hours). So, you can imagine this might hinder efficiency. For this reason, some farmers would muzzle the ox to keep it focused just on the work and not on the oxen’s own benefit.

But in this scenario God commands Israel not to do so. Instead, they were to let the oxen eat from the straw while they were working. In other words, the oxen should get to partake in some of their own labor. If you think about it, it is somewhat cruel for the oxen to be subjected to this work without some sort of benefit. God’s command is consistent with his expectations for treatment of animals (see Proverbs 12.10; Deuteronomy 22.6-7). If the oxen are going to work this hard to serve the master, they ought to get some reward. But this obscure command wasn’t just about the oxen.

“Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?” (1 Corinthians 9.9-11)

Some had taken for granted the labor Paul had done in teaching them the gospel. After all, he wasn’t very eloquent (1 Corinthians 1.17; 2.3-4), and besides that, he had a job to support himself (1 Corinthians 9.6). They accepted his efforts but didn’t offer him much in return. Like a muzzled ox, he was working for their advantage without receiving benefit. Now, Paul did not write this simply to receive the benefits (1 Corinthians 9.12-15). It was his obligation and stewardship to preach to them, and that was his reward (9.16-23). But these Christians needed to understand the obligation was mutual. If they had been served by his spiritual efforts, it was right and good to give the worker some benefit.

We often consider this principle regarding preachers, but Paul would also invoke this command in the context of elders (1 Timothy 5.18). Their work is a precious service to the people of God that must not be overlooked. “They are keeping watch over your souls” (Hebrews 13.17). “Let them be considered worthy of double honor” (1 Timothy 5.17); in other words, take care of these invaluable workers in the kingdom.

In recent years the church has done a good job showing appreciation to these types of men. But you know, spiritual servants are easily taken for granted. Most do not do it for the money and yet they offer incredible value to the people of God. Let’s not overlook this labor of love from those who work hard for the gospel among us. Thank them. Encourage them. Appreciate them. Let them eat of the work they are doing among you. Give them hope that their labor is not in vain by living a life worthy of the efforts they are encouraging you to make. It is God’s design that we give each other hope by sharing what we have with one another.

“I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with [you] in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” (1 Corinthians 9.23-24)

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 22

“If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.” (Deuteronomy 22.22)

3X in this chapter God draws a hard line in the sand concerning flippant sexual behavior. Infidelity, promiscuity and deception have no place in the relationships of God’s people. These activities are plainly labeled as ‘misconduct’ (22.17), ‘an outrageous thing’, ‘whoring’ (22.21), and ‘violations’ of the other person [and the law] (22.24, 29). God even compares the activity of unwelcome sexual pursuit to murder (22.26-27); hence why the consequence of these behaviors is often death. God takes sexual behavior in relationships seriously and so should his people. Spouses should be truthful and loyal to one another, and men especially, must control their passions towards women.

Improper sexual behavior is wholly unacceptable, especially among God’s people; and in Israel’s law there were severe consequences to impose this point so it would not continue. Sexual promiscuity is evil, and God wanted his people to purge it from their midst.

The principle holds true today. In fact, Paul invoked this section of scripture to rebuke the Corinthian church, who was doing the very thing the law condemned. “…a man has his father’s wife. Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5.1-2; cf. Deuteronomy 22.30). He does not advocate for stoning, but he does tell them to “purge the evil person from among you” (1 Corinthians 5.12). God’s people must be holy and allowing this vile practice to be acceptable in the church of God corrupts the whole body. The person must be removed, per the command of God.

The extremity of this response and call to action is instructive. God’s people don’t make excuses for uncontrolled sexual behavior. Marriage relationships are to be valued and prioritized, and sexual promiscuity must grind on our souls. We cannot allow the wickedness of the world to disorient us into apathetic acceptance. The fact is, our culture is numb to the notion of abstinence, and self-restraint. It is common for people to expect sexual behavior as a basic human need to be fulfilled at will. But we must understand that this attitude has not only led to the breakdown of the nuclear family, but to a continued degeneration of sexuality’s holy purpose. Furthermore, it has blurred the lines of what a good and healthy relationship ought to look like. We must be strong on this point and push back against the bold and godless narrative. Human sexuality is a gift that must be honored as a holy practice in the marriage relationship (Hebrews 13.4). It has immense spiritual value handled properly, according to God’s direction. But most importantly we must see that this is serious to God; it must be serious to us

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 20

“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” (Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion)

A common criticism of the bible is that the God of the Old Testament is nothing like Jesus. Like Dawkins, many skeptics see a cruel, ruthless deity that indiscriminately orders the execution of seemingly innocent men, women, and children. Such a God, the argument goes, in no way represents the loving Creator or Father figure that the New Testament offers. It’s just not consistent.

Charges of genocide are very common among the critics of God, with Israel’s charge to exterminate the inhabitants of Canaan being cited as an example: “Only in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the LORD your God has commanded you” (Deut. 20:16-17). To the skeptic, it seems that God is ordering the deaths of innocent people whose only crime is living in the land that He wants Israel to possess. But there’s more to this story that must be acknowledged. The fact is their expulsion was a loooong time coming. These nations had rebelled against God since the time of Abraham (Genesis 15.16). Despite not being his people, the Bible teaches that all people are accountable to God the Creator. These nations had corrupted themselves to the point they even burned their children in sacrifice (Deuteronomy 12.31). More than just being angry, this grieved God to the point of regret (see Genesis 6.6). Their way of life was no life; but worse it propagated generations destined for wrath.

I understand the challenge of accepting that a loving God would destroy men, women and children. After all he has promised mercy, forgiveness and hope. But it must be understood in the context of justice. For righteousness to be a reality, God must deal with the deliberately wicked. What we see in the destruction of the conquest was a justified consequence towards these people. But consider also that his effort was an act of mercy to keep future generations from their corruption. They would not continue in wickedness and their influence would be cut off from those trying to follow God truly. YHWH’s actions towards these nations sends a clear message to everyone: there is no future for those opposed to God.

Jesus would not let off the gas on this topic: There will be judgment on those unconcerned and unprepared to meet God (see Matthew 22.1-14). But Jesus' earthly mission was not to condemn-- that was already our reality (John 3.16-18)! -- but to offers true hope from the consequences of our opposition to God. The NT scriptures make it clear that Jesus plans to return, and there will be a clear distinction made between those with him and those opposed to God. 

It is justifiable to wrestle with Divine wrath and its place in the big scheme of things. We cannot begin to fathom the depth of God’s holiness and the actions he must take; nor can we comprehend his immeasurable mercy towards those who oppose him. But if we believe that God is the Creator, our submission, allegiance, and repentance is the only logical response.

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness?” (2 Peter 3.9-11)

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 17

“… [the king] he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.” (Deuteronomy 17.16-17)

“And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem… and Solomon’s import of horses was from Egypt… Now King Solomon loved many foreign women… from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.” (1 Kings 10. 26, 28; 11.1-2)

As clear as God was, people still did what they wanted. I’m sure they thought, “what will it hurt?” or “surely this isn’t that serious”. This was especially significant for a king who was supposed to write a copy of the law for himself (Deuteronomy 17.18-20). The king wasn’t just supposed to be a leader for the people; he was to embody the law and let it lead through him. But more often than not, the king did precisely what God told them not to do, leading the people farther from God and his covenant.

Israel’s degeneration was slow but deliberate. It is sad that God would be so explicit and yet his own people would explicitly do the very things he condemned. One could cite the passing of time or the lack of present demonstrations of God’s as a reason for their regression; but as Exodus demonstrates those factors make little difference. The problem was a fundamental choice in the hearts of these people to not fear God. They were ruled by their wants, passions and pride, and so refused to believe God’s words.

God’s people must appreciate and live by God’s words. They not only prove true (Proverbs 30.5) but give us insight and context far beyond our experience. Natural wisdom rejects this notion. Even God’s people can become convinced that what we see, know and understand is the highest form of reality. But we must appreciate that God’s words are not altered by circumstances but rather create the only proper framework for understanding life’s events. When they are rejected, there is nothing but frustration, failure and condemnation. 

We are not unique in history. Our life circumstances aren’t the exception to the rule. God’s wisdom is not outdated. Modern intelligence doesn’t have better insight than those of the past. Only God’s perfect understanding will cut through the clutter and give us true direction and life.  We must seek his wisdom, adhere to his patterns and observe his warnings as a top priority. It is a matter of life and death. The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1.7). So fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole of our existence (Ecclesiastes 12.13). 

“Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4.4; cf. Deuteronomy 8.3)

“It is not the old who are wise nor the aged who understand what is right… the breath of the Almighty; that makes him understand.” (Job 32.8-9)

BIBLE READING: Deuteronomy 15

“…there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor in your land.’” (Deuteronomy 15.11)

YHWH intended to bless Israel richly, but that didn’t mean hardship wouldn’t happen to some. With the passing of time, some would become poor. Moses didn’t qualify the nature of the poor brother’s circumstances. But that wasn’t the point; he commanded the nation of Israel to see his brother and ‘lend him sufficient to his need, whatever it may be’ (Deuteronomy 15.8). This had nothing to do with worthiness and everything to do with honoring God’s blessing towards those who had prospered (Deuteronomy 15.10). This expectation carries through today for us as an expression of love: ‘if anyone has the world’s goods and see his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?’ (1 John 3.17)

This month we received a request from brethren in South Africa for $30,000 so they could secure food in the coming months. As you know, their conditions are desperate and if they don’t get rain, outside help is their only hope for eating. Also, this month hurricanes have devasted the east coast, leaving many people homeless. I’ve already seen several pages listing the mountain of needs our brethren have in both Florida and North Carolina. Seasons like this make us acutely aware of these circumstances; but needs like this are everywhere. Last week I spoke with an Indian missionary who runs an orphanage. He is trying to save children from the sex trade and life on the streets, but the financial burden continues to grow. He told me 50-60 kids a week show up at his compound, but he simply doesn’t have the resources to help them all. When I travel to Ethiopia, I see brethren living with little to nothing, lacking adequate drinking water and clothing. We help them as much as we can, but the needs are constant.

The fact is negative circumstances exist in this life and often affect the people of God. We may not be able to help them all, but like God instructed Israel, we must have a mind and heart to ‘open wide our hands.’

We are incredibly blessed in our nation and our comforts can blind us to the daily struggles many face. But worse it can obscure the purposes we have been given such abundance. Frankly speaking, many things we consider necessary are frivolous to most of the world. But the struggle does not only manifest in abundance. Our hearts selfishly desire to maintain what belongs to us. That’s why Moses would warn Israel not to have ‘unworthy thoughts’ (Deuteronomy 15.9) that kept them from helping others in need. I’m not suggesting we should feel badly about our wealth or choose to live destitute, but God always gives with expectation. If we are to be holy as God is holy, we must train our mind to seek first the good of others with what God has given to us.

I was proud to see the gifts many of you made for our brethren in South Africa, and I would encourage you to develop and grow in this practice of serving others. It is an expression of holiness to think about and serve the needs of others in their distress. There will always be poor among us; and it is a Divine blessing to have opportunity to serve them in their needs.

“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3.18)