Laws of Divorce and of Justice and Generosity

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 24:1) "When a man has taken a wife and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favor in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her, then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house."

Moses continued reviewing God's laws as he had been doing in most all of the book of Deuteronomy.  Here he began the subject of divorce which was allowed by God's law, although certainly not what He preferred.  Matthew 19:8 quotes Jesus as saying Moses gave this law because of the hardness of men's hearts, but that from the beginning it was not so.  When a man had married a woman and later found no favor in her because of some uncleanness he found in her, he could write a bill of divorcement from her.  It seems clear here that God did not approve of frivolous divorce just because the man no longer liked his wife, and preferred another.  There had to be a just cause, some uncleanness in her, which might be something dishonest or wicked.  However, the law does seem to give great latitude of meaning to the man, and perhaps the uncleanness could mean something more trivial that the man could not tolerate.  If it was so disagreeable to him that he became ill-natured and even cruel to his wife, then divorce was permitted and might even be better for the woman than to expose her to her husband's anger that might even put her life in danger.  The man was allowed to give his wife a bill of divorcement and send her out of his house.

(2) "And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife."

With her bill of divorcement, the woman was free to marry another man.

(3) "And if the latter husband hates her and writes her a bill of divorcement, and gives it in her hand and sends her out of his house; or if the latter husband dies, who took her to be his wife, (4) Her former husband who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife after she is defiled, for that is abomination before the LORD; and you shall not cause the land to sin, which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance."

If the woman's second husband detested the woman as well, and wrote her a bill of divorcement and sent her out of his house, or if the second husband died, leaving her a widow, the first husband was forbidden to take her again as his wife because she had been defiled by another man.  The meaning could also be that because she had been considered unclean to him when he divorced her, taking her back would be considered defiling his house once again with her.  The divorced woman was allowed to marry again, and that second husband apparently was not seen as defiling his house with her, but if the first husband took her again, he was committing abomination before the Lord.  This can only be seen as a determent to men from frivolously divorcing their wives from the sacred union God held in high regard; acting thusly would cause sin throughout their promised land.

(5) “When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he has taken."

When a man had married a wife, he was not to be called to war or charged with any business that would take him away from his wife for the first year of their marriage.  He was to be free at home with his new wife to rejoice with her and build a loving and lasting relationship that could later withstand necessary separation. 

(6) “No man shall take the lower or the upper millstone in pledge, for he takes a man's living in pledge."

This most likely refers to a pledge for security of money lent.  The children of Israel were forbidden to take something as collateral that would prevent a man from making a living.  Even taking just part of the necessary tools as taking only one of a pair of millstones, if it would prevent the borrower from making a living, it was forbidden.

(7) "If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and makes merchandise of him, or sells him, then that thief shall die; and you shall put evil away from among you."

If a man was found stealing any of his Israelite brethren, whether it be a child or a woman or a servant, to sell the person or sell the services of that person, the person stealing was to be put to death.  That way the children of Israel would put the evil one away as well as the evil deed by inflicting punishment upon it and deterring others from such practices.

(8) "Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that you observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you; as I commanded them, so you shall observe to do."

The people were cautioned to carefully observe the laws concerning leprosy, including leprosy in houses and garments, as well as in people.  They were to do all and exactly what the priests told them to do regarding it.  Moses would teach the priests what God would have them do, and in turn, the people were required to do what the priest told them as they had learned.

(9) “Remember what the LORD your God did to Miriam on the way after you had come forth out of Egypt."

Moses exhorted the people to remember the case of Miriam, Moses's sister, when God struck her with leprosy for quarreling with Moses.  Not only should that be a reminder against entertaining thoughts of usurping God's ordained authorities, but as it relates to leprosy itself, if even a prophetess and the sister of Moses was not exempted from the severe discipline required in the leprosy law, so would all the people be required to adhere precisely to the law.

(10) “When you lend your brother anything, you shall not go into his house to fetch his pledge. (11) You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you lend shall bring the pledge out to you."

In verse 6, Moses had taught that a man lending to his brother was never to take the borrower's livelihood as pledge or collateral.  Likewise, the lender was not to go into the borrower's house to fetch whatever he wanted in pledge.  He was to wait outside the man's house and accept whatever the borrower could spare.  This law provided for dignity and protection for the borrower.  As the proverb in chapter 22, verse 7 stated, "...the borrower is servant to the lender."  This law prevented abuse by the lender to the borrower, but taught consideration of the comfort and subsistence of others.

(12) “And if the man is poor, you shall not sleep with his pledge. (13) In any case you shall deliver him the pledge again when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his own garment and bless you; and it shall be righteousness to you before the LORD your God."

If the borrower was terribly poor, the lender was not to keep his pledge overnight.  The law seems to refer specifically to the borrower's bedclothes when it speaks of allowing the borrower to have his garment returned so that he might sleep in it overnight, but it could be returned again to the lender the next day.  I believe this law would pertain to anything that the borrower parted with that might cause him great distress and discomfort to be without for the night.  Again this taught kindness and consideration for the poor, a kindness that would be so appreciated by the poor borrower that he would praise God for his kindness and mercy and seek blessings for him, and that merciful act would be considered righteousness to God.

(14) “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the strangers who are in your land within your gates. (15) At his day you shall give him his hire; neither shall the sun go down on it, for he is poor, and sets his heart upon it, lest he cry against you to the LORD, and it be sin to you."

The children of Israel were forbidden to oppress a hired servant who was poor and needy, whether a fellow Israelite or a stranger who lived within their gates.  He was to be given his wage at the end of each day of his hire, because he was so poor and his heart was set upon receiving it for his needs.  If the hired servant cried out to the Lord in desperation because he had not received the wage he was so desperately counting on, it would be considered sin against the man who had withheld it.

(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."

The commandment to the children of Israel was that parents should never be put to death for the capital sins of their children; neither should children be put to death for the sins of their parents, if they were innocent.  Every man was to be put to death for his own sin only.  This does not contradict what a sovereign God might do, as stated in Exodus 20:5 when God said He would visit the iniquity of the fathers unto the children unto the third and fourth generations of those who hated Him.  Their Lord could pronounce whatever judgment He found to be just, and He could show mercy to those whom He wished, but He did not allow mortal men to make such judgments.

(17) “You shall not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless, nor take a widow's garment as pledge. (18) But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this thing."

The Israelites were forbidden to pervert justice for the strangers, fatherless, and widows, as they were not able to defend themselves.  They were to remember that they had once been slaves in Egypt and in dire distress, and their Lord had redeemed them from there.  Therefore the Lord commanded they show like mercy to those less fortunate.

(19) “When you cut down your harvest in your field, and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to fetch it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands."

In many ways the rich were commanded to be charitable to the poor.  In this case they were forbidden to go back and gather gleanings from their fields after harvest.  Those were to be left for the poor, the strangers, the fatherless, and the widows.  Again this merciful act would be considered righteous in the eyes of the Lord and He would bless all the work of their hands.

(20) “When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. (21) When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.

Likewise, the people were not to go back over their olive trees to beat them again for the last remaining olives, nor gather the gleanings of their vineyards, but were to leave those for the poor, the fatherless, the widow, and the stranger.

(22) “And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing."

Once again the people were commanded to perform these acts of mercy because they had once been slaves in Egypt, and their Lord had blessed them; so must they bless others.  I am struck by how many of these laws sought to teach mercy and generosity--that Golden Rule, loving their neighbors as themselves, doing to them as they would like to have done to them, as the Lord often reminded them, as when they were captives in Egypt.

Sanctity, Purity, and Rights and Duties of Citizenship

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 23:1) "He who is wounded in the stones, or has his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD."

Most of the book of Deuteronomy up to this point has been a speech of Moses reviewing the laws of God.  He continued in this chapter.  A man who had been wounded in the testes or had his penis cut off could not enter into the congregation of the Lord.  This is a description of what was called a eunuch in the Bible.  Biblical scholars have mixed views on what exactly is meant by entering "into the congregation of the Lord."  Many thought it must only refer to holding office or having high honor in Israel, because it didn't seem likely that a man who might have been born that way would be completely cut off from the Lord.  However, it seems in keeping with the laws of purity and perfection for God's special people, that eunuchs were not allowed the same privileges as the children of Israel.  Compare Leviticus 21:17-23:

"Speak to Aaron, saying, 'Whoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. For any man who has a defect shall not approach: a man blind or lame, who has a disfigured face or any limb too long, a man who has a broken foot or broken hand, or is a hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scab, or has his stones broken. No man of the descendants of Aaron the priest, who has a defect, shall come near to offer the offerings made by fire to the LORD. He has a defect; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. He may eat the bread of his God, both the most holy and the holy; only he shall not go near the veil or approach the altar, because he has a defect, lest he profane My sanctuaries; for I the LORD sanctify them.'"

That passage did refer to the tribe of Levi, the priests, so it is reasonable to assume that "the congregation of the Lord" might mean that the eunuch described in verse 1 could not come near to the Lord, but was allowed in the general congregation of Israel.  There were proselytes or converts allowed to live among the children of Israel who could partake of some of the privileges of the Israelites.  A eunuch certainly had the privileges of any proselyte.  For those who believe that it is a cruel God who would keep people with deformities who were created by Him out of His presence, I believe this is symbolic of we sinners in this fallen world who could not approach the perfect God of the universe Who cannot tolerate being in the presence of sin.  We have to have Jesus cover our sins with His perfect sacrificial blood in order to approach God.  Indeed there is a prophecy in Isaiah 56, verses 3 through 7, that tells of the time when the ban against imperfect people would be lifted by the Messiah:

"Do not let the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD speak, saying, 'The LORD has utterly separated me from His people,' nor let the eunuch say, 'Here I am, a dry tree.' For thus says the LORD, 'To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants; everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant, even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.'”

Once again we see Jesus in the Old Testament!  Now back to the study of 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."

An illegitimate child was likewise forbidden to approach the presence of the Lord; even to the tenth generation of his descendants, they could not enter into the presence of the Lord.  Like the eunuch above, I am sure the illegitimate child could enjoy the privileges of a proselyte.  Also like the eunuchs and all people with deformities, there would come a time when those born of illegitimate births would also be accepted by the Lord when they accepted the sacrifice of the Messiah.  I couldn't help but take note of what importance the Lord puts on marriage and the proper family unit as He designed it, that even to the tenth generation, that illegitimate birth tainted the perfection of those who came afterward.

(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 forever."

The same applied to the Ammonites and Moabites, but once again, I am sure if they desired to convert to the Jewish religion, they could reside among the children of Israel as proselytes.  Note that this also states that the prohibition held till the tenth generation and then the word "forever" is added.  Ten is a number that symbolized perfection and completeness, so I believe that it is safe to assume that the Ammonite and Moabite blood that tainted the perfection of God's special people, as well as the tainted blood from an illegitimate union, would forever forbid one to enter the presence of the Lord, until the time of the Messiah, that is.

(4) “Because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you."

The reason why the Ammonites and Moabites, who were descendants of Lot, and might otherwise be among the children of Israel, were not allowed to approach the presence of the Lord was because they did not aid the children of Israel when they came out of Egypt, and they in fact, sought to curse them by hiring Balaam.

(5) "Nevertheless the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you."

Regarding Balaam, hired by the Ammonites and Moabites to curse Israel, Moses told the people that the Lord did not hearken to Balaam's curse, but turned the curse into a blessing because He loved His people so. 

(6) “You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity all your days forever."

The children of Israel were not to ally themselves with the Ammonites and Moabites; they were to make no peace treaties or trade and commerce agreements with them.  This did not mean that they were to treat them with malice.  They should always act in kindness and live as peaceably as possible with their neighbors, but they were to make no formal agreements for peace or prosperity that required something on their part.

(7) “You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were a stranger in his land."

The children of Israel were not to hate the Edomites, for as descendants of Esau, they were nearest akin to Israel of all the nations, for Jacob and Esau had been twin brothers.  They were to hold no grudges against the Egyptians; they had been strangers in their land, and had partaken of one of the richest and most fruitful parts of the country.  Although they ultimately were treated harshly in Egypt, they should forgive and treat any Egyptian the way they would have wished to be treated, by God's Golden Rule.

(8) "The children who are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation."

The descendants of the Edomites and Egyptians were welcome to become proselytes of Israel, and by the third generation of them who had become proselytes, they were welcome to become members of the congregation.

(9) “When the army goes forth against your enemies, then keep yourself from every wicked thing."

When Israel went forth against their enemies into Canaan, they were to keep themselves pure and resist gratifying themselves with the lusts of malice, covetousness, or idolatry, etc.

(10) "If there be among you any man, who is not clean by reason of uncleanness that by chance occurred to him by night, then he shall go outside the camp; he shall not come within the camp."

From the wording "by chance...by night", this may be a reference to Leviticus 15:16 about an involuntary "seed of copulation" that might occur in the night.  Even involuntarily, a semen discharge from a man would make him unclean before the Lord, and he was to go outside the camp to keep the Israelite camp pure from all moral, ceremonial, or even natural uncleanness.

(11) “But it shall be, when evening comes on, he shall wash with water; and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp."

After being outside the camp for that day he discovered his uncleanness from during the previous night, when evening came at the end of that day, he was to wash himself and he would be allowed back into the camp at sundown, which was actually the beginning of the next day according to the Israelite days.

(12) "You shall have a place also outside the camp, where you shall go out; (13) And you shall have a paddle among your weapons, and it shall be, when you ease yourself outside, you shall dig with it and turn back and cover that which comes from you."

There was to be a designated place outside the camp where the Israelites could go to relieve themselves.  They had a paddle or some type of implement that they used to dig a hole and cover their refuse, in order to keep their camp clean and healthy.

(14) “For the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He sees no unclean thing among you and turns away from you."

Most importantly, it was to keep their camp holy, for their Lord God dwelt among them to lead them and save them from falling into the hands of their enemies, and to, in fact, deliver their enemies into their hands.  Therefore, they were to keep Him from seeing any unclean thing in their camp which would make Him turn away from them.

(15) “You shall not deliver to his master the servant who has escaped from his master to you."

This is to be understood of the slave who was owned by one in the pagan countries they would soon be overtaking.  If the servant had fled from his master to one of the Israelites, it had to be assumed that he was either fleeing unjust oppression or desired to be among the Israelites, and he was not to be refused and sent back to his pagan master.

(16) "He shall dwell with you and among you, in the place which he chooses in one of your gates, where it seems best to him; you shall not oppress him."

This runaway servant was not to be detained in any particular place, or remanded to the custody of the one to whom he had first run, but could dwell where he wished within their gates, and he was not to be oppressed in any way.  

(17) "There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel."

The children of Israel were forbidden to become whores or sodomites.  The children of Israel were to be pure.  Prostitution was a common part of religious observances among idolatrous nations, but such a practice was not at all honoring to the God of Israel, but an abomination.

(18) “You shall not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD your God for any vow, for even both these are abomination to the LORD your God."

In this context, "dog" refers to a sodomite, the ancient scholars say.  A woman prostitute was called a whore and a male prostitute was called a dog.  Indeed, it follows that the hire of a whore refers to the one in verse 17, so the price of a dog refers to the sodomite in verse 17.  See Revelation 22:15 that obviously refers to a human dog and not an animal in its list of wicked people.  In verse 18 here, not only were the Israelites forbidden to be whores and sodomites, they must never even bring the money or any other thing that was used as payment for the services of a whore or sodomite into the house of the Lord.  Such practices were such an abomination to the Lord, even the money received by them was abomination to Him.

(19) "You shall not lend upon usury to your brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of anything that is lent upon usury."

The Israelites were forbidden to charge interest or any increase on anything lent to their fellow Israelites, including money, food, or provisions, that is, anything. 

(20) "To a stranger you may lend upon usury; but to your brother you shall not lend upon usury, that the LORD your God may bless you in all that you set your hand to in the land where you go to possess it."

In further clarification, Moses told the people they could charge interest to a stranger, as they were allowed to trade and do commerce with their pagan neighbors.  However, they were never to charge interest to one of their own, as the Lord commanded, so that He would continue to bless them in all they did in their promised land they were about to go in and possess.

(21) “When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin in you."

Whenever an Israelite made a vow to the Lord, whether a sacrifice or offering or even some action he vowed to perform, he was to do it right away and not delay the payment of the vow.  The Lord would require that he not lie and mock the Lord by vainly and flippantly making promises to Him that he did not keep, for that would be sin against God.

(22) “But if you forego vowing, it shall be no sin in you."

However, if a person did not make a vow, even if it was within his means to do so, there was no sin.  Of course, this referred only to freewill vows, not of those sacrifices and offerings required by law.  It was far worse to promise something to the Lord in the heat of passion and not deliver it, than to never promise anything at all.

(23) “That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, a freewill offering, according as you have vowed to the LORD your God, which you have promised with your mouth."

When a freewill vow was voiced aloud to the Lord, it must be kept and performed.  This would make the children of Israel careful of not making rash vows, because once they were made, an exact and rigid performance of them was expected.

(24) “When you come into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes at your pleasure, but you shall not put any in your container."

This law provided for the poor traveler, but was not limited to just that.  Anyone was allowed to eat from a vineyard, but was forbidden to take any grapes away for later.  It taught the children of Israel charity and hospitality for their hungry neighbors.

(25) “When you come into the standing corn of your neighbor, then you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not move a sickle to your neighbor’s standing corn."

Likewise, one was allowed to pluck an ear of corn from a cornfield that did not belong to him, but he was forbidden to use a sickle to cut down stalks or to take any corn with him.  The law humanely provided for the immediate hunger of travelers, but only what could be plucked by hand and eaten at the moment.

The laws in this chapter emphasized the necessity of purity and cleanliness in order to be a part of God's special people and to be in His presence, but the last also directed God's people to be trustworthy, humane, and unselfish.