Moses Reviews Yearly Feasts and Appointment of Judges

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 16:1) “Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to the LORD your God, for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you forth out of Egypt by night."

Moses continued his repetition of God's laws.  He told the people now to observe the month of Abib, sometimes called Nissan, because it was in that month that the Lord brought them out of bondage from Egypt.  Abib translates into something like "new fruits", and was considered the first month of their year.  It falls in our March or April.  Moses told them to keep the Passover to the Lord which occurred in Abib.  The Passover was so called because the destroying angel had passed over the children of Israel who had sprinkled the blood of their sacrifice on their doorposts, and killed only the firstborn of the Egyptians.  The commentaries I study pointed out that the Israelites actually did not come out of Egypt at night, but morning, as they had been expressly told not to come out of their doors till morning.  However, it was at night that the Lord had done such a wonder that finally made Pharaoh let His people go.  Additionally, another meaning of the word that was translated as "night", "layil", is "adversity" or "gloom", and the people were definitely brought out from that.

(2) "You shall therefore sacrifice the Passover to the LORD your God, from the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place His name there."

The people were to sacrifice their Passover feast animals from their flocks and herds in the place the Lord would later choose to put His name.

(3) “You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), that you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life."

The people were commanded not to eat leavened bread with their Passover feast.  For seven days they were to eat only unleavened bread, called the bread of affliction, a reminder of the time they came out of Egypt in haste and had no time to leaven their dough.  This was to be a reminder all the days of their lives.

(4) "And there shall be no leavened bread seen with you in all your borders for seven days; neither shall any of the flesh which you sacrifice the first day at evening remain all night until the morning."

There was to be no leavened bread even among them in their territory for the seven day period.  Moses also reminded them of the command that none of the Passover meat that was sacrificed the first evening was to remain all night until morning.  Exodus 12:10 told us that if any of it did remain till morning, it must be burned with fire.

(5) “You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you, (6) But at the place which the LORD your God shall choose to place His name in, there you shall sacrifice the Passover at evening at the going down of the sun, at the season that you came forth out of Egypt."

The Passover sacrifice was not to be sacrificed at home or in private or within any of their cities that the Lord had given them, but was only to be sacrificed in the place the Lord would choose to place His name.  Only there would they sacrifice the Passover in the evening, at the going down of the sun, at the same season they had come out of Egypt.

(7) “And you shall roast and eat it in the place which the LORD your God shall choose, and you shall turn in the morning, and go to your tents."

The people were to roast and eat their Passover sacrifices in the place the Lord would choose, but when the solemnity was over, they might turn and go back to their tents.

(8) “Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD your God; you shall do no work in it."

The meaning must be either six more days, or for six days and also on the seventh day, when there was also a solemn assembly to the Lord.  We were told in Exodus 12:15 (and verse 3 above) that the people were to eat unleavened bread for seven days.  On the day of the solemn assembly, they were commanded to do no work.

(9) "Seven weeks shall you number to yourself; begin to number the seven weeks from such time as you begin to put the sickle to the corn."

According to Leviticus 23:15, this began the morning after the Passover.  The people were to number seven weeks, and that would be the time that they had begun to reap their grains. 

(10) "And you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with a tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God has blessed you."

These seven weeks were called the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost.  The people were to keep this feast with freewill offerings from their hands which they were to give as the Lord had blessed them.  Although it was called a freewill offering, the people were required to pay this tribute to their Lord God from whom they received all their blessings.  However, it was not mandated what they should offer.  It was left to each person to determine what to offer in grateful acknowledgment and thanksgiving for that which the Lord had blessed him.

(11) "And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter, your manservant and your maidservant, and the Levite who is within your gates, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are among you, in the place where the LORD your God has chosen to place His name there."

The people were to make a liberal feast and cheerfully rejoice before their Lord with their families, their servants, the neighboring Levites, and the poor and needy like orphans and widows, and strangers.  They were to celebrate this feast in the place the Lord would choose to place His name.

(12) “And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall observe and do these statutes."

The people were exhorted to always remember that they had once been slaves in Egypt, and therefore they should observe to cheerfully do these things, first in thanksgiving to their Lord who freed them, and in mercy and love to those less fortunate as they would have surely appreciated having done to them in their bondage.

(13) “You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, after you have gathered in your corn and your wine."

The people were also to observe the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after they had gathered in their corn and wine.  We were told in Leviticus 23:34 that was the fifteenth day of the seventh month, Tisri, about our September.

(14) “And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, and your manservant and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your gates."

Once again the people were told to rejoice and liberally share in their feasts with their families, their servants, Levites, strangers, and the poor and needy.

(15) “Seven days you shall keep a solemn feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD shall choose, because the LORD your God shall bless you in all your increase and in all the works of your hands; therefore you shall surely rejoice."

For seven days the people were to keep the Feast of Tabernacles to the Lord in the place He would choose, because their Lord would bless them in the increase of their fields and vineyards, etc., and also in the works of their hands in their trades and occupations, and therefore they should surely, heartily and sincerely, rejoice and celebrate and share with family, servants, friends, and others.

(16) “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He shall choose, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty. (17) Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you."

Three times a year the men were to appear before the Lord for feasts in the place the Lord Himself would designate, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles.  They were not to appear before the Lord empty-handed, but were to bring offerings of whatever they were able, according to the blessings they had received from their Lord.

(18) "Judges and officers shall you make you in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, throughout your tribes; and they shall judge the people with just judgment."

During Moses's lifetime, he had been the main judge of the people through inspiration by God, with the help of subordinates, but now Moses was leaving, and instructed the people that they would have to choose their own leaders to maintain order.  Throughout all the land the Lord was giving them, in each of their tribes, they were to select judges and officers who would judge the people justly.  Judges judged the cases brought before them; officers were akin to our police who moved among the people and brought cases to the judges.

(19) "You shall not wrest judgment; you shall not respect persons, neither take a gift, for a gift blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous."

The people were commanded not to twist or pervert justice.  They were to judge all people with equal justice, and not consider the statuses of people.  They were commanded to never accept gifts or bribes because that biased their minds and therefore perverted righteous judgment.

(20) "That which is altogether just shall you follow, that you may live and inherit the land which the LORD your God gives you."

Moses exhorted the people to do only what was completely just and right that they might live and continue in the land that the Lord was giving them.

(21) "You shall not plant yourself a grove of any trees near to the altar of the LORD your God, which you shall make you."

The word translated as "grove" is "asherah".  Groves of trees, or asherah poles, were planted and the trees stripped of their boughs and carved with emblems, in heathen worship of false gods.  God commanded no such groves near any altar that was built for Him.

(22) "Neither shall you set you up any image, which the LORD your God hates."

Statues or carved or engraved figures to honor God were forbidden.  The Lord hated such things because nothing in man's imagination could come close to God's perfection and glory, and man would be reduced to worshiping worthless idols of his own imagination.

Year of Release and Sanctifying the Firstborn of Herds and Flocks

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 15:1) “At the end of every seven years you shall make a release."

In the book of Deuteronomy Moses reviewed the laws of God.  Here he began the subject of the year of release, which was to occur at the end of every seven years.

(2) "And this is the manner of the release: every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the LORD’s release."

Moses went on to explain the form of the release.  Every creditor who had lent anything to his neighbor was to release or forgive the debt, freeing him from any obligation to pay it.  The creditor must not demand payment from the debtor or his brother because it was the Lord's release, appointed and commanded by Him, to show mercy to the poor.  There is much discussion among the commentaries I study about exactly what this release meant.  Some say it was only a release of debts for that seventh year, since it was also a rest for the land and there was no plowing or sowing, and a poor man would have no means to pay.  Some said it only referred to loans lent because of poverty.  Some said the act of "exacting" meant suing or recovering by law.  That was what was forbidden, but if the debtor was able, he was afterwards bound in conscience to repay it.  It does seem like debtors could take advantage of this release, knowing that if they wait seven years, they need not pay, but then again, I suppose it's not unlike a statute of limitations on a debt.

(3) “Of a foreigner you may exact it, but that which is yours with your brother your hand shall release."

The children of Israel were allowed to demand payment from foreigners to whom they had made loans, but not from fellow Israelites.  Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Entire Bible, pointed out this was illustrative of God's forgiveness of sins to those who are His own, those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ.  Those who reject Christ and are not redeemed have no share in His blessing of grace, and owe their debt for their sins.

(4) "Save when there shall be no poor among you, for the LORD shall greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it."

The word translated as "save" here, "ephes", means "cessation" or "end".  The verse could therefore read something like, "Except when there are no longer any poor..."  The law of release was only meant for the poor who were unable to pay their debts.  It was never intended to release a person of means from a debt.  Some commentators read it as "To the end that there be no more poor among you..."  By observing this law, all debts being released at the end of seven years, it would prevent people from falling into extreme poverty.  Either way you understand it, the purpose was to help the poor.  Likewise the meaning of the second part of the verse could be either because the Lord would greatly bless them in their promised land, that there would be no poor; or they could so easily afford to release the debts of the poor because they were so greatly blessed in their inherited land.

(5) "Only if you carefully hearken to the voice of the LORD your God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command you this day."

The previous promise that there would either be no more poor or that they were so greatly blessed in their promised land they could generously help the poor, was conditional upon their obedience to the Lord's commandments.

(6) “For the LORD your God blesses you as He promised you; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you."

The previous verse 5 could also serve as a preface to this one, that only if the people obeyed their Lord's commandments, would the Lord so bless them that they would be able to lend to other nations and they would, in fact, reign over many nations, and those nations would not ever reign over them.  They could lend, but they could not borrow from other nations.  This promise was conditional upon the people holding up their side of the covenant and following their Lord's commandments.

(7) “If there is among you a poor man of one of your brethren within any of your gates in your land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother."

The Israelites were commanded not to harden their hearts nor refuse to lend to their poor brethren.  It could be that knowing that debts were forgiven at the end of seven years, they might decide it was better not to lend.  However, their Lord commanded them not to forsake the poor.  He once again reminded them that He was giving them this great land, and they should be willing to give, as well.

(8) “But you shall open your hand wide to him and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he wants."

The people were commanded to give liberally and lend whatever was needed.  I can't help but think of lending institutions that often won't lend as much as one needs, ensuring failure.  God's people are commanded to give as much as one needs if in his ability to do so.

(9) “Beware that there be not a thought in your wicked heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and it be sin to you."

Indeed, the Lord, through Moses, warned the people not to consider the year of release being at hand and refuse to lend because of that.  If a person was not compassionate toward his poor brother and refused to give him anything to the point he cried out to the Lord in prayer for his need, that would be considered a sin against the one who refused to lend.

(10) “You shall surely give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand."

The people were commanded to lend or give to a poor brother, and not be grieved at parting with money they had little hope of seeing again.  They were to give liberally and cheerfully, and the Lord would bless them mightily for their acts of generosity.

(11) "For the poor shall never cease out of the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor, and to your needy, in your land.’"

There would always be some need in the land.  Some question whether this is a contradiction to verse 4.  I don't think so at all, any way you look at verse 4.  The law of release was meant for the poor.  If there were no poor, it would not be needed.  It was not intended for the rich to borrow and then not have to repay.  The practice of lending and then releasing a debt to the poor would prevent the poor from falling into extreme poverty.  The reason the people were to do this was to strive to prevent poverty in their land of plenty, but there would always be a need.  The Lord wanted His people to be proactive in their generosity, giving liberally to the poor or needy in their land.  It's like the scripture in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect..."  In perceived contradiction, there are countless verses that suggest no man is perfect or without sin.  But perfection in the ways of the Lord is that for which we should always strive, just as the people in this passage in Deuteronomy were to strive to eradicate the poor by always being generous with the blessings that had been given them.

(12) “If your brother, a Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you."

There were three different ways an Israelite could be sold to another.  In extreme poverty, he could sell himself; parents in extreme poverty might sell their daughter to be a handmaiden, or because of a criminal activity, one might be sold to pay off his debt.  However he or she came to be owned by another, he was only to serve six years, and must be released in the seventh year.  There was never to be perpetual slavery.

(13) “And when you send him out free from you, you shall not let him go away empty. (14) You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, and out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress; of that which the LORD your God has blessed you, you shall give to him."

Whenever a servant was released, he was not to be sent away empty-handed.  The people were commanded to give generously out of what God had blessed them with, from their livestock, from their harvested grains, and from their wine.  This was in keeping with giving liberally to the poor.  A servant was not to be sent out into extreme poverty, but rather with adequate provisions.

(15) "And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this thing today."

The people were never to forget that they had once been slaves in Egypt, how it had felt to be in terrible bondage and hardship.  They were to show compassion to their fellow Israelites because God had shown mercy to them in delivering them out of bondage and bringing them to this land of great promise and blessing; they were likewise to release their brethren from servitude and furnish them with plenty of good things with which to start their lives again.

(16) "And it shall be, if he says to you, ‘I will not go away from you,’ because he loves you and your house, because he is well with you, (17) Then you shall take an awl and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise."

If at the time of his release, a servant said that he did not want to leave because he had come to love his master and his family and household, and because he was quite content in his position in the household, then his master was to thrust an awl through the servant's ear to the door.  According to Exodus 21:6, he was brought to the judges to declare his desire to remain with his master.  Boring the ear to the doorpost was a ceremonial symbol of permanent servitude with his intention to always hear his master's orders and obey them forever, that is, for the rest of his life or until the year of Jubilee when all servants were released.  Likewise, a maidservant was to be treated in the same way as a manservant.

(18) “It shall not seem hard to you when you send him away free from you, for he has been worth a double hired servant in serving you six years; and the LORD your God will bless you in all that you do."

The people were commanded not to begrudge their servants their liberty when they released them after six years, nor were they to begrudge all with which they sent them away.  Their servants had been worth double hired servants because if their servants had been hired, they would have been required to pay them wages, as well as food and housing.  Additionally, there is a verse in Isaiah that speaks of the days of a hireling being three years.  The meaning in verse 18 might also mean that they had had their servants double the time as usual hired servants.  Once again is the promise that the Lord would bless them in all that they did if they would follow His commands, in this instance, treating their servants as He commanded.

(19) “All the firstborn males that come from your herd and your flock you shall sanctify to the LORD your God; you shall do no work with the firstborn of your bulls, nor shear the firstborn of your flock."

Moses reviewed the law concerning the firstborn of the people's herds and flocks.  All the firstborn males were to be sanctified to the Lord in remembrance of, and in thankfulness for, sparing the firstborn of Israel, when the firstborn of the Egyptians, both of man and beast, were slain by the destroying angel.  No work was to be done with the firstborn male of cattle, and no wool could be sheared from the firstborn of sheep; they were the Lord's.

(20) "You shall eat it before the LORD your God year by year in the place which the LORD chooses, you and your household."

Dr. Gill wrote that if this referred to the firstborn males from verse 19, then only the priests were allowed to eat of those animals sanctified to the Lord.  However, if verse 20 referred to all Israelites, then they must be firstborn females or "second" firstlings which the people voluntarily separated every year; they were not to eat them in their own houses, but before the Lord in the place that He would choose to put His name.

(21) "And if there be any blemish in it, if it is lame or blind or has any ill blemish, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God."

However, if there was any blemish or defect in the firstborn, if it was blind or lame or had any other defect, it was not to be sacrificed to their Lord God.  It would not be fit to honor God with, nor to typify Christ, who was the perfect Lamb without blemish.

(22) “You shall eat it within your gates; the unclean and the clean alike shall eat it, as the roebuck and as the hart."

The firstborn animals with defects were allowed to be eaten within their own households, and the ceremonially clean and unclean alike might eat of them, just as was allowed with the roebuck and the hart, which were not offered as sacrifices, but were clean animals that were allowed to be eaten.

(23) “Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it on the ground as water."

The only prohibition was that the people not eat the blood of the firstborn animal that had a defect; they were to pour its blood out on the ground.  Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, commented that although we were no longer under this law of the firstborn, making no difference between a first calf or lamb or whether or not it had a defect, we should be mindful that it is all God's.  We owe Him the first of our time and strength, "as a kind of first-fruits of his creatures, and using all our comforts and enjoyments to his praise and under the direction of his law, as we have them all by his gift."

Clean and Unclean Meats, and Tithes Eaten Before the Lord

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 14:1) “You are the children of the LORD your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead."

In the last chapter and post, Moses gave the people dire warnings against idolatry.  Now he began describing some of the customs of the pagans that would be around them.  There was a practice among them of cutting themselves or shaving the front of their heads in lamentations for their dead.  These same practices were performed for their deities, consecrating their hair for them, or making incisions in their flesh to honor their gods.  The children of Israel were children of the one true God of the universe, and He was not to be disparaged by the common and grotesque practices the heathens performed for their worthless idols.

(2) “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a treasured people to Himself, above all the nations that are on the earth."

The children of Israel were a holy people, set apart by the Lord from all other people, chosen by Him to be His special treasure, to be His special servants and worshipers, above all the other nations on the earth.

(3) "You shall not eat any abominable thing."

The children of Israel were not to eat anything unclean and forbidden by the Lord, which would therefore be abominable to Him, so should be likewise to His people.

(4) "These are the beasts which you shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, (5) The hart, the roebuck, the fallow deer, the wild goat, the pygarg, the wild ox, and the chamois."

Moses then gave the people a list of the animals whose flesh they were allowed to eat per their Lord.  I did not try to translate or alter the names of these animals as given in the King James Version.  The first three are obvious, then there are any of a number of deer varieties, wild goats and wild oxen, and there are various opinions on what is meant by the pygarg and the chamois.  I don't see that it really matters; we know they were clean animals.  Additionally, the next verse tells us how to distinguish a clean animal from an unclean one.

(6) "And every beast that parts the hoof, and cleaves the cleft into two claws, and chews the cud among the beasts, that you shall eat."

Every animal with cloven hooves and that chewed the cud were allowed to be eaten.  It must be stressed that it had to be both.  Camels apparently chewed the cud, but did not have cloven hooves, and therefore could not be eaten.  Swine have cloven hooves, but do not chew the cud, so they were considered unclean and not to be eaten.

(7) "Nevertheless, these you shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof:  the camel, the hare, and the coney, for they chew the cud, but do not divide the hoof, they are unclean to you.  (8) And the swine, because it divides the hoof, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you; you shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcasses."

Indeed, Moses did go on to explain that the animals had to have both cloven hooves and the practice of chewing the cud.  Those that had just one or the other trait were considered unclean.  The people were not to eat of their flesh, nor even touch their dead carcasses.  As always, God's laws are not arbitrary and tyrannical, but are made for our good.  Animals that chew the cud, ruminants, have multiple stomachs and digest their food in stages.  The more fibrous portion of their food, the cud, is regurgitated and chewed again.  This mixes the cud with saliva and continues to break it down into more easily absorbed nutrients.  This method of nutrient absorption extracts the ultimate benefit from nutrient-poor vegetation like grass and leaves.  Animals that chew the cud have better nutrition!  Additionally, the unclean animals include all scavengers that eat decaying flesh.  Even the animals that are predatory generally prey on the weakest animals, which can often be because they are diseased.  Likewise, the sea creatures that do not have fins and scales, described as the unclean of the species, such as lobsters and crabs and shellfish, scavenge for dead animals and decaying matter (including waste) on the sea floor.  These unclean animals routinely eat what would sicken or even kill humans.

(9) “These you may eat of all that are in the waters: you shall eat all that have fins and scales. (10) And whatever does not have fins and scales you may not eat; it is unclean to you."

Indeed, Moses went on to describe what fishes could be eaten, only those with fins and scales.

(11) “All clean birds you shall eat."

Moses then went to the subject of fowl.  The people were allowed to eat all clean birds.

(12) “But these you shall not eat: the eagle, the ossifrage, and the ospray, (13) And the glede, the kite, and the vulture after its kind, (14) And every raven after its kind, (15) And the owl, the night hawk, the cuckow, and the hawk after its kind, (16) The little owl, the great owl, and the swan, (17) And the pelican, the gier eagle, and the cormorant, (18) And the stork, the heron after its kind, the lapwing, and the bat."

Once again we have a list of animals with the meaning of many names in dispute.  I listed them just as the KJV did.  Since there was no general rule given as with the cud-chewing cloven hoofed animals and the fish with fins and scales, one would assume that all birds could be eaten that were not on the list of forbidden ones.  That makes that list and its correct translation more important.  The original word for "ossifrage" was "peres" from a word meaning "claw", so it appears to be a bird of prey.  The meaning of "ospray" is unknown.  "Glede" means "sharp sight" so is thought to be a bird of prey.  I believe the same rule about animals could be applied to birds; scavengers like vultures eat dead flesh; birds of prey like hawks and eagles could prey on slower diseased animals; and some of the birds that appear to just eat fish like the pelican, the cormorant, the heron, the lapwing, and I believe would include the seagull, are sea birds of prey.

(19) "And every creeping thing that flies is unclean to you; they shall not be eaten. (20) All clean fowls you may eat."

The original word translated as "creeping things", "sherets", comes from a word meaning "wriggle" or "swarm", indicating insects.  The point in verse 19 is that even though some insects fly as birds do, they are considered unclean.  However, clean birds that fly may be eaten.

(21) “You shall not eat anything that dies of itself; you shall give it to the stranger who is within your gates, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to an alien, for you are a holy people to the LORD your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk."

God's people were forbidden to eat the flesh of any animal that had died on its own.  However, they were allowed to give it to the stranger within their gates, which would have been someone not of their Jewish religion, or they might even sell it to a foreigner.  Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, gave a good explanation for this, and pointed out something I had not before realized.  Although this law was repeated from Leviticus, the permissions now granted were only at this time being granted.  To have forbidden the people to allow to be eaten what had died among their herds would have involved loss of property.  In the wilderness, they had had little opportunity to sell any animal that had died on its own.  Now there was opportunity, so the people could remain a holy people to the Lord and not eat an animal that had died on its own or had been killed by wild beasts (Leviticus 22:8), but could give it to a guest or sell it to a foreigner. 

This is the third time that the prohibition against boiling a kid in its mother's milk had been given.  The reasons for the prohibition have been unclear.  It could have been seen as cruel to take a baby before its time when it was supposed to be left with its mother and then boil it in its own mother's milk which was designed for its life and nourishment.  Apparently, there was also a heathen custom at the time of boiling a kid in its mother's milk at the end of harvest and sprinkling that milk on the fields to make them more fruitful the next year.  For the first time, I saw a simple reason given in the 1599 Geneva Bible Translation Notes, "Because their blood was not shed, but remains in them."  Whatever the reason, it had been given three times, surely indicating how important it was, if only for the reason that God said.

(22) “You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field brings forth year by year."

All the commentaries I study say this is speaking of a second tithe.  The first tenth or tithe was given wholly to the Levites who had no inheritance in the land.  However, as this tithe was eaten by the owners themselves, as we'll see in the following verses, it must be a second tithe.  Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, pointed out that although the people's produce was tithed twice, meaning 20% instead of only 10%, the second could hardly be seen as a hardship, since they themselves would receive the benefit of it.  It surely would have been a reminder that all belonged to the Lord, as they brought their tithe as recognition of God's blessings and in thanksgiving to Him.  The people were instructed to separate the tithes themselves and were to do so truly and honestly, taking care that God's part might not be diminished either by design or by oversight.

(23) “And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He shall choose to place His name there, the tithe of your corn, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks; that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always."

The people would be allowed to eat of those tithes before the Lord in the place where He would later choose to place His name, the tithe of their grains, of their wine, of their oil, and of the firstborn of their herds and flocks.  This was said to be done so that they might learn to fear their Lord God always.  As was stated before, the people learned to be mindful that everything they had was given them by their Lord God, and without Him, they might have nothing.

(24) "And if the way be too long for you, so that you are not able to carry it, if the place is too far from you, where the LORD your God shall choose to put His name, when the LORD your God has blessed you, (25) Then shall you turn it into money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God shall choose."

If the place where the Lord was going to choose to be His place where He would have His name, was too far that the people were not able to carry their tithes of all with which the Lord had blessed them, then they were allowed to turn it into money, the value of their tithes, and take that to the Lord's place of His choosing.

(26) “And you shall bestow that money for whatever your heart desires, for oxen or sheep, for wine or strong drink, for whatever your heart desires; and you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household."

Just as the people who brought their tithes would be allowed to feast upon them before the Lord, so would the people who brought money be allowed to buy whatever they desired with regard to food or drink to feast before the Lord.  And yes, it does appear that strong drink was allowed.  I get amused at all the commentators who go to great links to suggest this passage does not mean what it says.  "Strong drink" would have meant any fermented beverage, as wine was fermented grape juice.  It is very clear that the Bible condemns drunkenness, but it is equally clear that wine and other fermented drinks were allowed.  Psalm 104:15 considers wine a gift from God that gladdens the heart.  There is a huge difference in having a glass of wine or even beer with a meal that lightened the heart and allowed more rejoicing before the Lord, or going into a bar and getting drunk, or even getting drunk at home, although done privately, is certainly not healthy or edifying before the Lord.  I believe we all know in our hearts, and isn't that what God judges, when we are rejoicing in God's gifts, or indulging to excess.  That would include all manner of activities, including the eating of food.  God's gifts that He wished people to enjoy in His presence included all manner of food which when taken to the extreme of gluttony is certainly condemned (Proverbs 23:20-21).

(27) "And the Levite who is within your gates, you shall not forsake him, for he has no part nor inheritance with you."

Once again is the reminder to never forget the Levites, and always include them in their feasts before the Lord, as they did not have their own part in the inheritance of the other tribes.

(28) "At the end of three years you shall bring forth the tithe of your increase the same year, and shall lay it up within your gates."

Every third year the tithe of the increase from that same year was to be stored up for the poor.

(29) “And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are within your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do."

Once again, the Levites who had no other portion in the inheritance of God's people, could come, eat, and be satisfied, as well as the poor and needy (strangers, orphans, widows, etc.).  Their Lord God would bless them in all the work of their hands, when His commands, including this one respecting the tithes were obeyed.

Once again, we can marvel at the wise laws of God that provide for all.  If we would only adhere to these laws!  It's not for government to provide all the needs of the poor (unless it would be a Godly government), for government requires we taxpayers pay for many ungodly things.  If the churches and ministries for the poor and needy were their only providers, the poor would receive a much more Godly message than the one given by the government.  Unfortunately, government gives the message that it is the only provider of needs and makes people dependent on it, and believe that only by more government, can they survive.  Our current laws encourage laziness and broken families.  They are completely antithetical to God's word, which says that an idle hand becomes poor, but a diligent hand gets rich (Proverbs 10:4).  For those who cannot work, God provides for them through the promises of blessings to those who generously support them.  He even encourages that His very tithes be given to their support.  Oh, that we would totally trust God for our needs!  "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..." and His grace is sufficient for me (2 Corinthians 12:9)!

Warnings Against Idolatry

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 13:1) “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, (2) And the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ (3) You shall not hearken to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God proves you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

In the last chapter and post, Moses told the people that there would come a time in their new land in Canaan when they would worship and serve their Lord in a place of His choosing, and they would bring offerings there in a prescribed manner.  He warned them against idolatry and against practicing any customs that the pagans they were dispossessing used in the service of their false gods.  They were to destroy every sign and symbol of the false gods. 

In this chapter Moses began by telling the people that even if a self-proclaimed prophet among them or dreamer of visions foretold some strange or wonderful sign that came to pass in order to confirm that they should pursue other gods and serve them, they were not to listen to that false prophet.  He was obviously a false prophet because he spoke contrary to God's word.  This reminds me of the Bereans in Acts 17:11.  When Paul and Silas preached to them, they examined the scriptures to confirm if what they were telling them was true, or contrary to the scriptures.  That's how to tell truth from a lie; that's why it's necessary to know the word of God so we won't be fooled.  God always gives us a choice between life or death, blessing or cursing, His ways or the ways of the world.  He doesn't force us to accept Him, but situations such as the one described in these verses would test the individual to know whether he truly loved the Lord with all his heart and soul, or if he could be easily persuaded to choose to dabble in idolatry.

(4) “You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; and you shall serve Him and cleave to Him."

Moses again exhorts the people to walk in the ways of their Lord, have a reverential fear of Him as the very giver of life and almighty God of the universe, keep and obey His commandments, and serve and hold fast to only Him.

(5) "And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to thrust you out of the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put the evil away from the midst of you."

That false prophet was to be put to death, not because he dreamed such a dream, but because he told the people about it in order to turn them away from their Lord God who had brought them out of Egypt from that land of bondage.  They had to put that evil away from them by putting him to death so that he not be allowed to further tempt the children of Israel away from their God. 

(6) “If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you secretly saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, (7) Of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, (8) You shall not consent to him or hearken to him, neither shall your eye pity him, neither shall you spare him or conceal him."

Even if someone very close to a person, his own brother, wife, child, or a friend as close and dear to him as himself, tried to secretly talk him into serving other gods of the people around them or in other parts of the earth, that person was forbidden to listen or consent to it.  Additionally, he was not to have pity on that idolater, though he be very close to him; his life was not to be spared and he could not conceal him, which would make him complicit in the evil.

(9) "But you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people."

This does not mean the person was to murder another by his own authority because of what that other person had told him in secret, but the fact that all the people were involved, proves there was a public hearing.  This was not taken lightly.  According to Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Entire Bible, this was difficult to judge because the affair had taken place in secret, with no other witnesses.  Therefore, "either the enticer must be brought to a confession of his guilt, or the testimony of the enticed alone must be taken. The Jewish doctors say that they laid in wait for the enticer, which they never did for any other person, and the method they took was this; the enticed brought two persons, and put them behind a hedge, so that they might see the enticer, and hear his words, and he not see them; and he said to the enticer, say what thou hast said to me privately; which said, the enticed answered to him, how shall we leave our God which is in heaven, and go and serve wood and stone? if he returned (from his evil) hereby, or was silent, he was free; but if he said unto him, so we are obliged, and thus it is comely for us; they that stood afar off, behind the hedge (or in a dark room), brought him to the sanhedrim, and stoned him, that is, after examination, trial, judgment, and condemnation."  The person who had been originally enticed would be the one to cast the first stone, followed by the casting of stones by the rest of the people.

(10) “And you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he has sought to thrust you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage."

If found guilty, the enticer was to be stoned to death, because he sought to drive the people away from their Lord God, the one true God who had done so much for them with signs and wonders and the deliverance from bondage in Egypt.  Even though he may have only whispered the rebellion to one person, if allowed to go unchecked it would have destroyed the whole group of people.  If this punishment sounds harsh, we should always remember that to steer a person away from God is to murder his soul.

(11) "And all Israel shall hear and fear, and shall do no more such wickedness as this is among you."

All of Israel would have heard what happened to that enticer, and would fear to act as he had and be cautious against being drawn into sin by someone like him.  Once again, this was done to prevent such wickedness from spreading.

(12) "If you shall hear in one of your cities, which the LORD your God has given you to dwell there, saying, (13) 'Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods," which you have not known, (14) Then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently, and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you, (15) You shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword."

So egregious was the sin of enticing people into idolatry and away from their Lord God, that even if they heard rumors that in one of their cities certain men of Satan were drawing people away from their Lord suggesting they dabble in idolatry, then they were to diligently search out if the rumor was true.  So serious was such an abomination, they must investigate the matter, and if found to be true, they were to destroy that city and all that was in it.  Undoubtedly, if there were righteous men in that city, they would come out of it, but the city and all within it was to be completely destroyed, so that such wickedness would not spread to other cities.

(16) “And you shall gather all its spoil into the middle of the street, and completely burn with fire the city and all its spoil, for the LORD your God; and it shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again."

Once the people and livestock of such an evil city were destroyed, all the goods of that city were to be piled into the midst of it and burned; the spoil and the entire city were to be burned for their Lord God, by His commandment and to rid from their midst and His such an abomination, as a sort of offering to Him.  That city was never to be rebuilt.

(17) "And there shall remain none of the cursed things in your hand, that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, and have compassion on you and multiply you, as He has sworn to your fathers, (18) When you shall hearken to the voice of the LORD your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you this day, to do what is right in the eyes of the LORD your God."

The people were to completely rid their land of any of the accursed things belonging to the idolaters, including the whole city itself, that the Lord's anger might be assuaged, and that He have mercy and compassion on them and multiply their numbers as He had sworn to their forefathers.  The people might think that destroying an entire city and killing their brethren was in conflict with increasing their numbers, but Moses told them that if they followed their Lord God, kept His commandments, and did what was right in His sight, and rid themselves of corruption, He would bless and increase them all the more.  Jesus taught something to this effect in the New Testament.  He said that whoever saved his own life would lose it, and whoever gave his life for the Lord's sake would find life; and whoever gained the whole world but lost his soul in the process profited nothing (Matthew 16:25-26).  Giving up a city for the Lord's sake would mean blessings and life more abundant than anything they could have gained by holding onto worldly goods.

How God's Service Was to Be Kept in Canaan

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 12:1) “These are the statutes and judgments which you shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of your fathers gives you to possess it, all the days that you live on the earth."

Up to this point Moses had been exhorting the children of Israel to obey the commandments of the Lord.  Now he began a review of all the statutes and judgments of the Lord that they were to obey in their promised land all the days of their lives.

(2) “You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall possess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree."

The very first thing the Israelites were to do when they went into their promised land was to destroy all the places where the nations before them had worshiped their false gods.  The pagans most often erected their pillars and statues on high places, and worshiped there, being nearer to the heavens; and many consecrated various trees to their pagan gods and worshiped under them.

(3) “And you shall overthrow their altars, break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and you shall cut down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place."

They were to destroy their altars, break their pillars and statues, burn their groves of trees that had been planted for worship, and cut down any carved or engraved images of their gods, completely destroying all memorials of the idols, which probably included changing the names of places, as well.  Matthew Henry wrote something I found very interesting, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, "Here is no mention of idol-temples, which countenances the opinion some have, that the tabernacle Moses reared in the wilderness was the first habitation that ever was made for religious uses, and that from it temples took their rise."  My limited research was not able to prove or disprove that fact, but evidently, there were scholars who believed that during Henry's lifetime (1662-1714).

(4) "You shall not do so to the LORD your God."

By that, Moses meant they were not to use any of those vulgar objects in their worship of their Lord.  He was not to be worshiped with superstitions on every hill and under every tree as every other false god, but He Himself would design a sanctuary and the ritual of His own service.  Their Lord was above all gods, as is stated many times in scripture.

(5) “But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His habitation; and there you shall come."

The Lord Himself would choose the place for his tabernacle where His presence would be among their tribes, and that is where the people would come to worship Him and seek Him by prayer and inquire of Him.

(6) "And there you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks."

That place the Lord would choose and designate was where the people would bring all their offerings and sacrifices and tithes.  There, in God's tabernacle, not on any hill or under any tree, signifying that their offerings and sacrifices were not accepted for their own worth, but by God's gracious appointment in His house. 

(7) “And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the LORD your God has blessed you."

There in the place that would be designated by the Lord would the people eat their part of the offerings as instructed by Him, and there they would rejoice in all the labors of their hands that brought in the offerings of all of which the Lord had blessed them.  They and their households would cheerfully and thankfully partake of the offerings.

(8) "You shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes."

Moses told the people that the time would come when they did not do the things they did there in the wilderness, where they were constantly moving from place to place, and the people brought offerings sometimes when and where they pleased.  John Wesley pointed out, in his Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, that there wasn't a "universal liberty" given to the people to do as they pleased, but their migratory life and unsettled conditions often gave them opportunity to do so.  Moses said that would change.

(9) "For you are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your God gives you."

The people were allowed to do those things irregularly because they had not yet come to their promised land the Lord was giving them, their rest and their inheritance.  It is interesting to note the word "rest" here.  Their promised land of Canaan was symbolic of the eternal rest that is assured for the people of God in heaven, and of Christ in whom we have spiritual rest.

(10) “But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the LORD your God gives you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety, (11) Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there; there you shall bring all that I command you, your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the LORD."

However, Moses continued, when the children of Israel had crossed over the Jordan River, dwelt in their promised land, and they had subdued their enemies all around and dwelt in safety, then there would be a fixed place which the Lord would choose for His name to dwell there.  To that place they would bring all their tithes, offerings, and sacrifices, to the Lord, as Moses would instruct them.

(12) “And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your menservants, your maidservants, and the Levite who is within your gates, since he has no part nor inheritance with you."

In the fixed temple that would be built at that time they would rejoice before the Lord, eating with joy and thanksgiving their part of the offerings, they and their entire households, as well as the Levites who were ministers dispersed among them, for they had no inheritance in the promised land.  The people were to include the Levites in their feasts.

(13) “Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; (14) But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you."

Moses cautioned the people to be mindful and not offer their offerings in any place that might please them, but only in the place that the Lord Himself would choose among their tribes, would they offer their burnt offerings and do all that Moses would instruct them to do.

(15) "Nevertheless, you may kill and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the roebuck and the hart."

Strict commandments would be given by Moses (from God) as to how and what they would offer and sacrifice, but within their own gates and households, they were allowed to eat whatever their hearts desired of that with which the Lord had blessed them.  When Moses referred to the unclean, he was referring to ceremonial uncleanness, like the touching of a dead body or issues of bleeding, etc., that would cause the people to be unclean.  They were not allowed to eat unclean animals that were forbidden, but could eat the flesh of animals considered clean, as with deer and gazelles or antelope.  Most commentators, as well as Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, said gazelles and deer were meant, while Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, wrote that Dr. Shaw, I believe Rev. Barnabas Shaw, the missionary, thought it was the antelope.  Brown-Driver-Briggs's Hebrew Definitions suggested it might even be an extinct animal that was meant.  Whatever animal was meant, it was certainly one of the clean animals permitted by God to eat.

(16) “Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water."

Although they could eat whatever clean meats they desired in their homes, the people were still forbidden to eat the blood of any beast or fowl.  All manner of blood was forbidden whether slain for sacrifice or for common food.  The blood was to be poured out on the ground.

(17) “You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your corn or your new wine or your oil, or the firstlings of herd or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the heave offering of your hand."

Although they were allowed to kill and eat any clean animal they desired, the people were forbidden to eat within their gates and homes anything that had been offered to the Lord, except what and when was allowed by the Lord's law.  Even if allowed to be eaten, there were certain procedures in presenting it to the Lord first.  After all, all was the Lord's and they gave their offerings to the Lord in praise and thanksgiving or for atonement, but in most cases they were allowed to enjoy the feasts, but only after ceremony and as instructed by the Lord's law.

(18) “But you must eat them before the LORD your God in the place which the LORD your God chooses, you and your son and your daughter, your manservant and your maidservant, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all to which you put your hands."

Finishing the thought started in verse 17, Moses told the people they could not eat of the offerings of the Lord in their houses, but in the place where the Lord told them they could in His law.  There they would cheerfully make and keep feasts in the manner commanded, rejoicing with family and friends, and with the Levites, expressing thankfulness to God for His blessing on the labor of their hands.

(19) “Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live on the earth."

The people were commanded to be careful not to ever forget the Levites as long as they lived.  The Levites had no inheritance in their promised land and only lived on the tithes appointed for their maintenance, and by their inclusion at the feasts described above.  The Levites' lives were dedicated to the service of God and to the ministering to the souls of men, and they were to be furnished at the very least the necessities of life by those souls for whom they ministered for their salvation.

(20) “When the LORD your God shall enlarge your border as He has promised you, and you say, 'I will eat meat,' because your soul longs to eat meat, you may eat as much meat as your heart desires."

Moses told the people that when the Lord had increased their land by bringing them into the land of Canaan as He had promised, and they craved meat that had been in short supply in the wilderness, they would be allowed to eat as much meat as their hearts desired.

(21) “If the place where the LORD your God has chosen to put His name is too far from you, then you may kill of your herd and of your flock which the LORD has given you, as I have commanded you, and you shall eat in your gates whatever your heart desires."

As the people were obliged to carry their sacrifices to the place of worship where the Lord had chosen to put His name, they might think they had to carry to there all their animals they desired to be slaughtered for meat.  However, Moses was telling them they were under no obligation to do that, and were free to kill them at their homes and eat as much as they desired within their gates in the manner the Lord had commanded (v. 15-17 above).

(22) "Even as the roebuck and the hart are eaten, so you shall eat them, the unclean and the clean alike shall eat of them."

Just as Moses had instructed in verse 15 regarding the animals allowed by law to be eaten as food, as with deer and antelope or gazelles, both those people ceremonially clean and those considered unclean could eat of the animals they killed at their homes.

(23) “Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life; you may not eat the life with the flesh."

Once again the people were commanded not to eat the blood of any animal, specifically because the blood was the life and they were forbidden to eat the life with the flesh.  In Leviticus 17:11 they were told more precisely that the blood was given by the Lord to make atonement for their souls; therefore they were forbidden to eat of it.

(24) “You shall not eat it; you shall pour it on the earth like water."

Once again the commandment was repeated (v. 16) that they must not eat of the blood, even of common flesh not used as sacrifice, but pour it on the ground.  When they could not bring the blood to the altar, to pour it out before the Lord, as belonging to Him, they were still to pour it out on the ground, as not belonging to them, because it was the life and only belonged to the author of life, and was to be used for atonement.

(25) “You shall not eat it, that it may go well with you and your children after you, when you shall do what is right in the sight of the LORD."

The children of Israel were not to eat of any blood that it might go well for them and their children, as they had been told in Leviticus 7:27 that any person who ate of blood of any animal was to be cut off from his people.  However, when the people did right in the sight of the Lord in this and all other commands, it would go well for them and their children.

(26) “Only the holy things which you have, and your vowed offerings, you shall take and go to the place which the LORD chooses."

As they were warned in verse 17 above, the holy things like their tithes, their firstborn offerings, their freewill offerings, their heave offerings, or any vowed offerings, were to be taken to the place that the Lord would later choose to put His name.

(27) “And you shall offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on the altar of the LORD your God; and the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar of the LORD your God, and you shall eat the meat."

Those offerings to God were to be presented on the altar of the Lord, and the blood of those sacrifices was to be poured out on the altar, and then the meat only was allowed to be eaten.

(28) “Observe and hear all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God."

Moses exhorted the people to really hear and observe all those things he had commanded them from the Lord, as in destroying all symbols of false idols, bringing all holy things to the place the Lord would designate for Him to dwell, the eating of common flesh in their homes, and the prohibition against eating blood, it would go well for them and their children, when they did what was good and right in the sight of their Lord.

(29) “When the LORD your God shall cut off the nations from before you, where you go to possess them, and you succeed them and dwell in their land, (30) Take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared by following them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’"

When their Lord destroyed the nations from before His people and they succeeded them and then dwelt in their lands, the people were warned against being ensnared by following the customs of those people they had dispossessed.  They were warned against even inquiring about those customs, lest they be tempted to do the same.

(31) “You shall not do so to the LORD your God, for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods."

The people were forbidden to perform any of the rites of the nations before them for their Lord, because everything those nations had done for their gods, He hated.  Those nations had even sacrificed and burned their own children to their gods.

(32) “Whatever I command you, observe to do it; you shall not add to it nor diminish from it."

Moses gave the people one last warning from their Lord that whatever He commanded, precisely that they were to do, neither adding to nor subtracting from what He had told them to do.  This was the same caution Moses had given the people regarding the word of God in Deuteronomy 4:2, "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you."  This is also confirmed in Revelation 22:18-19, "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."  God is serious about us accepting His word as given.  The Almighty perfect God of the universe doesn't need us mere sinful mortals to improve upon His word, nor decide that parts of it are okay to ignore.  It is perfect as the perfect God gave it.  I've heard the argument that God may be perfect, but imperfect people wrote the Bible.  Is the perfect omniscient God not capable of making sure His word was given to us as it should be?  I have learned something in my study of the Bible.  A precept of God will always be repeated.  As the Bible states in many places, a thing will be established by the word of two or three witnesses.  So it is with what God wants us to know; it will be repeated elsewhere in scripture.  If there is some obscure scripture that seems to tell us something new, you can bet our interpretation is wrong.  People are always looking for new revelations in the word of God, and that is fine, but if you find something new and different, make sure it is repeated elsewhere.  Otherwise, your interpretation is wrong and you are falling into that old trap of Satan, that "you shall be as God" (Genesis 3:5) because you have learned His secret.

Promises for Obedience, Blessings vs. Cursing

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Deuteronomy 10:6) And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera; there Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest's office in his stead. (7) From there they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of rivers of water.

In the last post Moses was making a speech to the people about how unrighteous they were, and that it was only by the mercy and grace of God, and because of the wickedness of the nations they were going in to possess, that they were being given that great land, certainly not for any righteousness of their own.  This verse and the next few seem to be a parenthetical pause in Moses's speech to the people.  Perhaps Moses was stating this in his speech, as he had been relating historical events, but it appears parenthetical nonetheless, whenever Moses said or wrote it.

The children of Israel had taken their journey from Beeroth to Mosera where Aaron died and was buried.  Mosera is said to be the desert of Mount Hor, where Aaron was said to have died and was buried according to Numbers 20:23-28.  Eleazar succeeded his father as high priest.  Some of the names of the other places don't exactly line up with the list of stations in Numbers 33, but most can be explained as in the case of Mosera and Mount Hor, that in one place a city may be mentioned and in another account the region of that city. 

In the last chapter and post, Moses had related how the people had made the golden calf, and that God had been angry enough to destroy them all, and He had also been very angry with Aaron.  Verse 6 shows that the Lord had been gracious in answering Moses's prayers and had reconciled with His people.  He continued to lead them on their journeys, and although Aaron had died, the Lord perpetuated the priest's office through Aaron's son who then became high priest in Aaron's place.  Then the Lord continued guiding His people in their journeys.

(8) At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day. (9) Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD your God promised him.

These two verses are a continuation of the parenthetical pause.  Either meaning about that time, or perhaps when Eleazar became priest in Aaron's place, there was a renewal of the separation of the Levites to bear the ark of the covenant and to minister to the Lord in the priest's office.  The tribe of Levi had no portion or inheritance in the land of Canaan.  The Lord was the Levites' inheritance, and the Lord's portion, the tithes and offerings which belong to God, were given by Him to the Levites for their subsistence, from generation to generation.

(10) "And I stayed in the mount, according to the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the LORD hearkened to me at that time also, and the LORD would not destroy you."

Verse 10 returns to the words of Moses.  He spoke of the time he had received the second two tablets back from the Lord written by His finger.  He had stayed on the mountain another forty days and nights as he had the first time he had received the original tablets.  He commented that the Lord had listened to his prayer, as He had done many times before, and had relented from His plan to destroy them.

(11) "And the LORD said to me, 'Arise, take your journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.’"

Answering Moses's prayer and having relented of His plan to destroy His people, the Lord then told Moses to go on before the people and lead them onward to the land the Lord had promised their forefathers.

(12) “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, (13) To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command you this day for your good?"

Moses posed the question what did the Lord ask in return for all His mercy and forgiveness of their sins, and for His renewal of His promise to their forefathers?  Just that they turn to Him and obey Him--have a reverential fear of God as the Lord of life and all within the universe, to walk in the ways He told them to walk in His commandments, to love Him, and serve Him, and to keep all the commandments and statutes that Moses was now giving them again.  All these things were for their own good, as the ways of God meant life, and transgressions against His laws meant death.

(14) "Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S your God, the earth also, with all that is in it."

Moses reasoned that after all, God was indeed the maker and possessor of heaven and all the universe of heaven beyond what was seen and known by them; the earth was His and all that was in the earth, as well.

(15) "Yet the LORD had a delight in your fathers to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, you above all people, as it is this day."

Even though the entire universe and all that was in it was His, the Lord delighted in their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and loved them, and chose their descendants after them, these children of Israel, to be His very own people, above all other people, as it still was to that day Moses was speaking to them.

(16) “Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no more."

Moses exhorted the people to circumcise their hearts, by removing whatever was sinful to the Lord, all transgressions of the heart, all idolatry, etc., and to no longer be a stubborn people.  When Jesus came and told people He had not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it, and began to teach the spirit of the law, we see here that this spirit is what God intended all along with His laws.  It was not enough to merely circumcise the flesh, which was but an outward sign of purification, but they must purify their hearts and souls.  As Adam Clarke wrote so beautifully in his Commentary on the Bible, "Loving God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength, the heart being circumcised to enable them to do it, was, from the beginning, the end, design, and fulfillment of the whole law."

(17) “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and terrible, who shows no partiality nor takes a reward."

Moses further extolled the Lord as God and Lord of all, the one and only true God, almighty and with awesome terror, who showed no partiality to any particular sort of person, and never exchanged favors for bribes, but was merciful and gracious according to His own pleasure and will, having nothing to do with any works of man, for after all, "There is none who does good, no, not one" (Psalm 14:3).

(18) "He does execute judgment for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing."

God's providence and judgment extends to all; He is Father to the fatherless, Protector and Provider for the widow, and loves the stranger, giving life and provision to all, even to the Gentiles, strangers to Israel.  As Jesus said in Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"  God provides not only for His own people, and for the strangers, but to all living creatures.

(19) “Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt."

Moses exhorted the children of Israel to love the stranger, remembering that they were once strangers in the land of Egypt.  Jesus gave us that Golden Rule, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12).

(20) “You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall cleave, and swear by His name."

Moses further exhorted the people to have a reverential fear of the one true God, and to serve Him, clinging only to Him, and not turning aside to follow false idols, and to swear by His name only.

(21) “He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrible things which your eyes have seen."

Their Lord God was the object and deserver of all praise.  He alone was the one who had done all the mighty and awesome wonders which they themselves had personally witnessed.

(22) “Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude."

From so small a beginning, when Jacob went into Egypt with a total of seventy people, including himself (Genesis 46:27), the children of Israel had been multiplied to more than 600,000 (Numbers 26:51), as numerous as the stars appeared in heaven.

(Deuteronomy 11:1) “Therefore you shall love the LORD your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always."

Chapter 11 of Deuteronomy begins with Moses summing up the reasoning for loving the Lord and always keeping His commandments, because of who He was, and because of all the great and miraculous things He had done for them, including the multiplication of their numbers, the last thing he mentioned at the end of chapter 10.

(2) "And know this day that I do not speak with your children, who have not known and who have not seen the chastisement of the LORD your God, His greatness, His mighty hand, and His stretched out arm, (3) And His miracles, and His acts, which He did in the midst of Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and to all his land."

Moses exhorted the people to take notice that he did not speak to them as their descendants who had not personally seen the chastening of the Lord, or His mighty power and miracles that He had done in Egypt to Pharaoh.  It may be that Moses was only addressing the elders at this point, because the adult generation that had come out of Egypt had died in the wilderness.  However, their children, who would at this time be an elder generation, would have witnessed all the things that took place in Egypt.

(4) "And what He did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and to their chariots; how He made the water of the Red Sea overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD has destroyed them to this day."

Moses continued describing the miraculous works of their Lord that these people would have witnessed themselves, when they came through the Red Sea parted by the Lord, and then He caused the sea to overflow the Egyptian armies of horses and chariots that had pursued them.  The effects of the destruction of Egypt were felt to that day.

(5) "And what He did for you in the wilderness until you came to this place."

They had seen all the ways the Lord had provided for them in the wilderness, leading them, feeding them with manna from heaven, providing water, etc.

(6) “And what He did to Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance in their possession, in the midst of all Israel."

They had also witnessed the chastisements of the Lord, how He opened the earth to swallow up Dathan and Abiram and all their households and belongings, openly before all Israel.  These chastisements were always for Israel's welfare, just as God's provisions were acknowledged to be.  The dangerous rebellion of Dathan and Abiram and Korah and his company threatened to destroy the entire nation of Israel if it had not been immediately crushed by the hand of the Lord.

(7) "But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which He did."

Moses summed up what he started in verse 2.  He was not speaking to their children, who did not personally witness all these things, but he spoke to the people who had personally known all these great acts of the Lord.

(8) “Therefore you shall keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land where you go to possess it."

Because these people had personal knowledge and experience with all the Lord was and what He did, they should know better than anyone to keep all the commandments of the Lord, that were designed for their good and would strengthen them and enable them to go in and possess their promised land.

(9) "And that you may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD swore to your fathers to give to them and to their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey."

Keeping the commandments of their Lord would allow their days to be prolonged in the land promised to their forefathers and their descendants, a land abounding in all good things.

(10) “For the land which you go in to possess is not like the land of Egypt from where you came out, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a garden of herbs."

Moses told the people the land they were going in to possess was not like the land in Egypt from where they had come.  I believe the message Moses was trying to convey is that this was not like the land in Egypt where they labored to sow their seed, and carried water to water it, or used their feet to dig furrows, in a garden they planted in the midst of the dry country that rarely had rain.

(11) "But the land, where you go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinks water of the rain of heaven."

Unlike Egypt that was mainly flat and dry desert, the land they were going to possess was a land of hills and valleys, and was watered, refreshed, and made fruitful by rain from heaven.  The Lord Himself watered this good land; the people would not have to labor so hard to bring water to their crops.

(12) "A land which the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year even to the end of the year."

This special land promised by God to His people was specially cared for by Him.  The eyes of the Lord were always on it from the beginning of the year to the end of it.  The Lord's eyes are everywhere, and all provisions come from Him, but in Israel's case, He had given His people the best land with His special blessings, if they would but follow His instructions in order to receive the best.

An interesting side note comes from something I read by John Wesley, in his Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible.  He wrote that later writers wrote what seemed to be a contradiction about the land of Canaan.  They described it as a barren soil, far from a land flowing with milk and honey.  As Wesley said, rather than questioning the authority of scripture, it rather confirmed it, that the land was blessed because God was in it, and barren when God was not.  As Psalm 33:12 states, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD..."

(13) "'And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently to My commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, (14) That I will give you the rain of your land in its due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your corn, and your wine, and your oil.'"

Moses, speaking the words of God Himself, said that if the people would diligently follow His commandments, and would love and serve Him with all their hearts, He would give them rain in due season.  That is, it would first rain at seed time, and later rain, as needed, before harvest.  Again this rather confirms that if God did not bless the land with His rain, it would indeed be a barren land.

(15) "'And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.’"

This is a continuation of the thought started in verse 13, that if they followed the Lord's commandments, they would have rain when best needed for their crops, and grass as needed for their livestock, so that they would be well fed.

(16) "Take heed to yourselves, that your heart not be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, (17) And the LORD'S wrath be aroused against you, and He shut up the heaven that there be no rain, and the land does not yield its fruit, and you perish quickly from the good land which the LORD gives you."

Moses warned the people not to allow themselves to be deceived and turn aside to other gods.  Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Entire Bible, pointed out reasonably, that the people might come to observe the influence of the sun, moon, and stars, upon their land, an influence put in motion by God Himself, but the objects falsely worshiped by heathen nations.  However, their hearts were just as likely to be deceived by any number of false worship they witnessed from neighboring nations.  The Lord, that jealous God, ever zealous in His protection of His people, would turn from them, shutting up heaven stopping the rain, and their land would no longer yield its fruit and they would perish from the land the Lord was giving to them.

(18) “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes."

Moses exhorted the people to treasure the words he had spoken, specifically the word of God and His laws, in their hearts and in their whole being.  Their eyes should constantly be fixed on the word of God; as signs bound on their hands and foreheads, they should always be in view, on their minds and in their souls.

(19) “And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."

They were to teach their children God's laws, speaking about them constantly, whether in their houses or in public; they were to be an ongoing way of life--living and teaching the word of God from the moment they woke till the time they retired.

(20) “And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, (21) That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth."

They should write the laws on the doorposts of their houses and on their gates, again as constant reminders when they were leaving and upon their return, and also as a sign to other passers by.  Again they were to do all these things that their days and the days of their children might be long in the land the Lord had sworn to their forefathers before them.

(22) “For if you diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave to Him, (23) Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and you shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves."

On the eve of their entering their promised land to possess it, Moses declared to the people the promise of their Lord that if they diligently kept His commandments, loved and held fast to Him, and walked in His ways, He would drive out all the nations from before them, and they would possess the nations that had been greater and mightier than they were.

(24) “Every place on which the soles of your feet tread shall be yours, from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even to the uttermost sea shall your coast be."

Every place in their promised land of Canaan that they trod upon would be their possession, from the wilderness of Paran in the south to Lebanon in the north, and from the Euphrates River on the eastern side to the Mediterranean Sea which was the western-most coast.  This map shared on Pinterest shows the Promised Land as described in this verse:

(25) “No man shall be able to stand against you; the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that you shall tread upon, as He has said to you."

No man in the places within the borders of the promised land upon which they would tread, would be able to stand against the children of Israel, because their Lord would would put fear and dread upon all the inhabitants of the land, who would hear of all the mighty works of God to bring His people to this place.  This was originally prophesied in the song at the Red Sea (Exodus 15:14), and the Lord had indeed told them this in Deuteronomy 2:25.

(26) “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; (27) A blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day; (28) And a curse, if you will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which you have not known."

Moses conveyed to the people that they had been presented with a choice between blessing and a curse.  If they obeyed the commandments of their Lord, which were instructions for life, they would have the blessings that would naturally occur as a result of living right.  That's not to say that God couldn't or wouldn't personally give them extra blessings, but the laws of God are about life and blessing, so following them and walking in the ways of God, does in itself bring blessing.  The people would be choosing a curse if they chose to disobey God's commandments and turn away from Him to go after false gods they had never known, choosing to leave what is certain blessing for unknown mysteries, which always lead to depravity and death.

(29) "And it shall come to pass, when the LORD your God has brought you into the land which you go to possess, that you shall put the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal."

When the Lord had brought them into their promised land, the Israelites were to designate two mountains, one as a mountain of blessings, and the other as a mountain of cursings.  These two mountains were and are parallel to each other, Mount Gerizim being southward, and Mount Ebal northward, and the valley of Shechem in between.  As seen in the photo below, also shared on Pinterest, the mountains are very similar in height and shape: 

"Gerizim" meant "cut off" or "cut down", by implication "cutters down" or "reapers", perhaps designating reapers of harvest from a fertile land.  "Ebal" meant "bald" or "bare", surely implying a barren mountain.  Although it may not be as noticeable now as it was then, Adam Clarke, who lived in the late 1700's and early 1800's, wrote, "That Gerizim is very fruitful, and that Ebal is very barren, is the united testimony of all who have traveled in those parts. See Ludolf, Reland, Rab, Benjamin, and Mr. Maundrell."  How could it be that two mountains so similar in height and shape and so close together, be so different?  It can only be by the providence of God that one can be so fertile, and that without God, one is cursed to barrenness.

(30) “Are they not on the other side of the Jordan, toward the setting sun, in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the champaign opposite Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh?"

Moses further described the location of the two mountains that would be designated as a mountain of blessing and a mountain of cursing.  They were across the Jordan River in the land of Canaan in the plain opposite Gilgal beside the plains of Moreh, near Shechem, which is in the valley between the two mountains.  The following map shows the location of the two mountains in Canaan:

John Wesley made an interesting observation regarding the plains of Moreh:  "This was one of the first places that Abram came to in Canaan. So that in sending them thither to hear the blessing and the curse, they were minded of the promise made to Abram in that very place, Gen.12:6-7."

(31) "For you shall pass over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you shall possess it, and dwell in it."

Moses assured the children of Israel that they would indeed cross over the Jordan River and claim their promised land and would live in it.

(32) "And you shall observe to do all the statutes and judgments which I set before you this day."

Moses further proclaimed that the people would observe and follow all the Lord's statutes and judgments that Moses was giving to the people.  Of course, that is the only way that ensured their continual possession of their promised land.  To be able to achieve what Moses stated in verse 31 was to do what Moses said in verse 32.