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.
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