YOUTH STS LESSON 145 MISCELLANEOUS LAWS

TEXT: Deuteronomy 23:1-25; 24:1-22; 25:1-19. 

MEMORY VERSE: “When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee” (Deuteronomy 23:21).

The Lord gave various laws to the children of Israel to regulate their behaviours. At this point in particular, the Lord tells them the categories of people that should not be allowed into their congregation. He said further that even the members of the congregation, in order to maintain their membership, should keep decent conduct. Finally, He told them of the kind of behaviour that was expected of them daily. From these, we can draw some practical lessons on what is required for a person to be a member of the universal church. Also, we can see that living a holy life is expected of anyone who wants to get to heaven. Therefore, studying laws in the Old Testament and applying them as they relate to us in the New Testament is of paramount importance, God says, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

Question 1: Give a simple definition of the word “laws”.

Laws are rules and guiding principles. God gave the children of Israel laws to ensure they lived together peaceably. These laws were very comprehensive because they covered every aspect of a person’s life in relationship with others outside his own family.

DECENCY COMMANDED BY GOD FOR HIS CHILDREN (Deuteronomy 23:1-25; Revelation 21:27)

“He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD. A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD” (verses 1, 2). The heathen, among whom the children of Israel lived, were fond of castrating their male children for service in the house of great men. These were used as eunuchs or officers in charge of women. What they sometimes used to “cut off” the private part was stone just as “Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son…” (Exodus 4:25). God did not want someone who made himself incomplete, to enter among His people. This is a self-made eunuch. Besides, God also did not want a bastard, the product of immoral relationship, to come among the congregation of His people. It is clear that God was discouraging His people from following the bad example of the heathens.

Another category of people not expected to enter into the congregation of Israel were the Moabites and the Ammonites. These were banned from the congregation because of their unkind and uncharitable attitude to the Israelites after they left Egypt. God disapproves of youths who display unkindness or fail to be hospitable to others. “When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing” (verse 9). The host referred to the army of Israel whose Chief Commander was God Himself. If they were going against any of their enemies, they were to ensure that they were holy and clean. “Every wicked thing” must be out of their lives. The unfortunate thing in their experience was that at any time they had proposed to go and fight with sin among them, they had always been disappointed. By this, God proved to them that the secret of every victory, physical or spiritual, is to be holy.

Question 2: What is the secret of daily victory over our enemies?

“We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not” (1 John 5:18). When we live a holy life, God will be on our side and He will watch over us. He will hear our prayers. Nothing can harm us while we walk with Him in holiness. The Lord also explained to Israel that physically uncleanness or indecent habits could keep God’s presence from them and deprive them of their desired victory. They were not to pollute their camp with faeces. God wanted the Israelites to understand that He had no association with uncleanness in any form, be it spiritual or physical.

For those who were already among the congregation of Israel, there were basic things that God expected of them as they daily lived their lives. “Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee: He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him” (verses 15,16). If a servant ran away from his master, he ought not to be released to his master. “There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God” (verses 17, 18). God firmly declared that there should be no daughter or son of the Israelites involved in any form of immorality neither should they bring the monetary gain of their evil deeds to His house. He said this was an abomination. A Christian should not share of any gain or financial profit that comes as a result of oppression, cheating or any form of immoral deeds. Also, they were not to take advantage of their needy brethren to enrich themselves by lending on interest.

DEALING WITH GRACE AS GOD’S CHILDREN (Deuteronomy 24:1-6, 10-22; 25:1-12; Malachi 2:14-16: Matthew 19:3-9; Galatians 6:9,10)

Chapter 24 talks about building harmony, happiness and joy in a family, and co-habiting families in the same community. The first has to do with how to maintain harmony in an individual family (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). Moses told the children of Israel that a man may put away his wife if he found any uncleanness in her. The conditions that followed in the passage show clearly that even Moses did not permit divorce on a platter of gold. A man must take some legal processes which would not make the divorce to be immediately realised. Such processes would make divorce would make divorce very burdensome, tedious and perhaps boring. The processes would give room for some reflections which may make the man proposing divorce to see it as being unnecessary.

Question 3: What is God’s stand on divorce?

God plainly declares His stand on divorce. “For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously” (Malachi 2:16). Even in the New Testament, Jesus points out that instruction on divorce was a mere permission due to the hardness of the Israelites’ hearts and not a command. “He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so” (Matthew 19:8). Christ’s teaching on this subject is that God did not intend that any family which He has built should break. “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:6). Hence, a husband and his wife are expected to make efforts to be united and not give room for what could lead to divorce. However, where there is threat to life seek counselling immediately.

Question 4: What roles do youths have to play to build and maintain harmony in their families?

Youths should avoid doing anything that could cause disaffection between their parents. Such things among others include tale-bearing. When your parents have disagreement and it is known to you, you should not act as an information agent to one against the other. Such can further destroy the peace and harmony that is already at stake (Proverbs 26:20, 22). To maintain harmony between two different families, God said, if two men fought, the wife of one should not come to embarrass the other man. This would lead to a permanent scar that could keep the families away from other families. This also applies to the youths whose fathers have misunderstandings with other men. They should not insult the men quarrelling with their parents as that will not solve the problem but cause more disaffection.

“Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy…At his day thou shalt give him his hire…Thou shalt not pervert the judgment…When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow…” (verses 14-22). Another area of showing grace with others is, if someone works for us as Christians or if we buy goods from somebody, we should pay very promptly. In judgment, we should have fair dealings. Also, from the resources we have, we should make provisions for the poor and the needy. We should not be stingy. It is then that God would bless us. Besides, this would enhance love and peace among us.

DETERMINATION TO BE HONEST AS GOD’S CHILDREN (Deuteronomy 24:7-9; 25:1-19; Isaiah 33:15; Ezekiel 22:13; 2 Corinthians 4:2; Ephesians 5:10-13)

“If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you” (verse 7)

Question 5: Mention some dishonest things that a believer should not be involved in.

God warned His people against human trafficking. God said the person who did so shall face capital punishment. In the world today, human trafficking is one of the criminal offences. A Christian should not get involved in any shady deal including internet fraud. A child of God should also avoid the gain of dishonesty. In addition to this, they should have just balances and measures. “Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.  For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God” (verses 13-16).

There were rules that had been laid down for some specific situations, especially the case of leprosy. God wanted the children of Israel to keep strictly to these rules without compromising it for anyone on the basis of familiarity. He reminded them of the case of Miriam, who was not spared though she was Moses’ relation and a leader among the women of Israel. “If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked…” (Deuteronomy 25:1-3). The judges were to judge fairly between people who had misunderstandings. If anyone was to be punished, the punishment should commensurate to the offence and not out of hatred. A sinner will find it very difficult to be just and honest. Therefore, to be able to live a just life, a youth needs to get saved through Christ’s sacrifice.