JOY

JOY

Isaiah 16:10-12 NET.

¹⁰Joy and happiness disappear from the orchards, and in the vineyards no one rejoices or shouts; no one treads out juice in the wine vats — I have brought the joyful shouts to an end. ¹¹ So my heart constantly sighs for Moab, like the strumming of a harp, my inner being sighs for Kir Hareseth. ¹² When the Moabites plead with all their might at their high places, and enter their temples to pray, their prayers will be ineffective!

When we studied the poetry of the Bible, such as the Psalms, we primarily examined words coming from humans directed toward or about God. But now we’re looking at a different genre. We are focusing on literature that is mostly directly from God through a human prophet. It’s important to understand that the direction differs in prophecy. Prophecy involves words from God through the prophet, whereas poetry involves words from humans about God or to God.

All of these words in the Bible come directly from God, the Holy Spirit, in that He inspired them. He inspired poets to say what was needed for the songs to be written. In the Old Testament’s prophecy section, we see words from God the Holy Spirit as a testimony from God Himself. Today, we often use the word prophecy to refer to predictions. Some of these are found in the Old Testament prophets. For example, messianic prophecies throughout the Bible predict the coming Messiah; many were fulfilled at Jesus’ first advent when He was born. Others were fulfilled during His earthly ministry, and some are yet to be fulfilled at His second coming. The second coming is a primary focus of Old Testament prophecy. While many messianic prophecies appear in the Old Testament prophets, most prophecies focus on the Day of the Lord, which is the second advent.

But the prophets spoke directly from God to the people, culture, and time in which they lived. That explains why we have passages like today’s text, which speaks directly to the nation of Moab and is a prophecy from God to that nation. Although Israel was God’s chosen people to bring about redemption for all humanity, that does not mean Israel was God’s only concern. Even in the Old Testament, we see reflections of a God who is the God of all nations and cares about them all. Today’s text reflects that because it is about a nation other than Israel.

You might remember that Moab, as a nation, consisted of people who were relatives of the Israelites. Moab came from Lot, Abraham’s nephew. Both the Moabites and the Ammonites are descendants of Lot. You might recall that Lot’s daughters got their father drunk and slept with him. They both became pregnant and gave birth to the ancestors of those two nations. The names of these nations reflect this fact. The name Ammon means “my people,” and the name Moab means “from the father.” Moab was the ancestor of the Moabites to whom God speaks in today’s text.

Even if we only consider the three verses from today’s passage, we can still learn something about Moab as a nation. We find that they are a nation of vineyard owners and orchard keepers. Evidently, the land they possess is well-suited for fruit trees and vineyards. They also appear to derive great pleasure and joy from this way of life.

Another thing we learn from today’s passage about the Moabites is that they are very religious. They don’t worship at the temple in Jerusalem, but they have their own temples and high places where they pray and make sacrifices. They didn’t follow in Abraham’s footsteps; they have their own religion. However, we see from today’s text that they are very dedicated to practicing it. But we also learn from today’s passage in Isaiah that their devotion to their religion will not influence God. Isaiah declares judgment upon Moab.

The Lord will end the joy of the heathen.

Isaiah says that joy and happiness will disappear from the orchards. He explains that in the vineyards, no one will be rejoicing or shouting. The reason is that the labor that brings about joy will come to an end. No one will be treading out juice in the wine vats. Isaiah, speaking for God, says that God has brought the joyful shout to an end.

It’s essential to examine a passage like this, especially in today’s season. Christians around the world during this Advent season are talking about joy from the Lord. We have every right to speak about joy from the Lord. But we must remember that the joy that comes from the Lord is a joy for those whom the Lord is pleased with. Just as the peace that God promised when He sent Jesus into the world, the joy He promises is also explicitly directed toward those who will accept Christ. The joy entering the world only comes to those who receive Jesus Christ as King. This is the message of the Old and New Testaments.

The prophecy Isaiah shares in today’s passage concerns the destruction of Moab as a nation. There is no Moab today, so that prophecy has been fulfilled. However, there’s more to this passage than just the prediction and its fulfillment. God gave us that message not only because of the Moabites, but because what happened to them will happen to all the heathen nations that haven’t accepted Christ. He will take away the joy from those nations and remove all who claim to have a relationship with God but have not come to His Son and accepted Him as their King.

Last Sunday night, we watched a movie during the evening service. The film showed a tribe living in the jungle that had not yet learned about Jesus. Some of you have talked to me afterward and said that the movie really shook you up. You couldn’t understand how people could live like that. It’s important to remember that there are still people in the world living without Christ and without hope. They are living in darkness and have not yet experienced the light of Christ.

We are still living in an age where our primary focus should be on reaching the lost. There are not only many individuals who need salvation, but also thousands of people groups who have never heard the name of Christ. Some of these might be experiencing temporary joy in their current lives, but as the Moabites did, that joy will be short-lived and ultimately disrupted by the judgment of Almighty God. We must have compassion for these people and strive to get the gospel to them. If the only way to reach them is by sending our sons and daughters, that is what we must do.

The reality of God’s judgment upon the nations remains unchanged. The heathen are still lost regardless of what happens to us. They need to hear the word of God and to listen to it from the Church of God. Yes, God loves them, but He also hates their sin. Just as God pronounced judgment upon Moab, many people groups around the world are facing God’s judgment.

The Lord has no joy in doing this.

Isaiah, speaking for God in today’s passage, says that His heart constantly sighs for Moab, like the strumming of a harp. His inner being sighs for Kir Harosheth, one of the Moabite cities. Isaiah opens a window into God’s mind, revealing His heart. He shows a God whose heart is breaking because He must destroy the wicked. You see, God is a God of justice. When something is wrong, He must correct it. As the ruler of this universe, He is responsible for fixing mistakes. But God is also compassionate. He does not want to destroy the lost. He is not willing that anyone should perish, but He desires all to come to repentance. However, He has set a date for judging the great and the small. When that day arrives, there will be no more time for mercy. When the trumpet sounds and time ends, those who are lost will be forever lost.

Why does God tell us that he has no joy in destroying Moab? Specifically, why is this statement included in the Israelite scriptures? Why does God speak this through the mouth of an Israelite prophet? There must be a reason this is relevant to the children of Israel. It reveals the heart of their God. It shows that their God is not a respecter of persons. He loves the children of Israel, but also loves the children of Moab. He loves the followers of the Christian Bible, but also cares for those who follow other Bibles and have not yet seen the truth in his holy word. God’s heart extends beyond just those who consider themselves his. His heart cries out for us to reach those who don’t see themselves as his. He takes no joy in their destruction—he took no joy in the destruction of Moab. He takes no pleasure in the destruction of those who rebel against his truth. He considers them his children, even if they are prodigal children. He eagerly waits for the day when the prodigal son will come to himself and return home.

There is only one Way to the Lord.

There is a heretical teaching that continues to spread among Christian circles. This false teaching reflects everyone’s desire to be saved. Some say that as long as you are sincere in your belief, it doesn’t matter what that belief is. But we don’t see that idea in today’s passage. Isaiah says that when the Moabites plead with all their might at their high places and go into their temples to pray, their prayers will be ineffective. Isaiah shows that these Moabites are sincere in their belief and eager for God to save them, but they are going about it the wrong way.

The New Testament gospel communicates the same message. Jesus states that he is “the way, the truth, and the life,” and that no one comes to the Father except through him. Many of us struggle with this truth because we know there are many nations, many religions, and many ways people try to reach God. All around us, we hear people saying there are many ways to God. However, when they do so, they are not reflecting the Christian gospel. Today’s text reminds us that you can be sincerely seeking God and still not reach him. God has given us only one way of salvation: through the Lord Jesus Christ. That means many prayers will not be answered because they have not come through Jesus.

The joy we talk about at Christmas is a joy found only in Jesus Christ. The good news of the gospel is good news of great joy. However, the gospel is conditional, with Jesus Christ as the condition. This means that when Jesus comes, there will be joy in the world, but it will not reach everyone. As seen in other prophecies in the Old Testament, the coming of Christ will bring great fear and sorrow to those who have not accepted Him. That is why, when we proclaim the Christian joy of Christ’s coming, we must make it clear that the joy we speak of will only belong to those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Furthermore, the joy we speak of when we sing “Joy to the World” is a joy only experienced when our Lord returns. The joy we feel now is terrific, but it is only a preview of an even greater joy. The joy of Christ coming as a baby in Bethlehem was marvelous, but it was just the beginning. It was a joy for those who welcomed Christ into their hearts. It was a joy for Mary and Joseph. It was a joy for the shepherds. It was a joy for the wise men. It was a joy for Simeon and Anna.

The Advent season is a time for you and me to ask ourselves if we have room in our hearts for Jesus Christ. The joy of Christmas is ours if we can answer that question in the affirmative. Likewise, the joy of the second Advent is ours if we have found room in our hearts for Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Otherwise, like the Moabites, we will see that all we will eventually experience is loss, and even if we are sincere in our prayers, those prayers will never reach God. Even worse, when our Lord does come in his glory with all his angels, he will greet us not as our Lord and Savior but as our Judge.

If you want joy, absolute joy, incredible joy, let Jesus into your heart.

Deuteronomy 24

Deuteronomy 24

Deuteronomy 24:1 “If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, he may write her a divorce certificate, hand it to her, and send her away from his house.

Deuteronomy 24:2 If, after leaving his house, she goes and becomes another man’s wife,

Deuteronomy 24:3 and the second man hates her, writes her a divorce certificate, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house, or if he dies,

Deuteronomy 24:4 the first husband who sent her away may not marry her again after she has been defiled, because that would be repulsive to Yahveh. You must not cause failures on the land Yahveh, your God, is giving you as an inheritance.

Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man takes a bride, he must not go out with the army or be liable for any duty. He is free to stay at home for one year so that he can bring joy to the wife he has married.

Deuteronomy 24:6 “Do not take a pair of grindstones or even the upper millstone as security for a debt, because that is like taking a throat as security.

Deuteronomy 24:7 “If a man is discovered stealing a throat of one of his Israelite brothers, whether he treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. You must purge the evil from you.

Deuteronomy 24:8 “Be careful with a person who has a case of severe skin disease, watching carefully everything the Levitical priests instruct you to do. Be careful to do as I have commanded them.

Deuteronomy 24:9 Remember what Yahveh your God did to Miriam on the journey after you left Egypt.

Deuteronomy 24:10 “When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not enter his house to collect what he offers as security.

Deuteronomy 24:11 Stand outside while the man you are making the loan to brings the security out to you.

Deuteronomy 24:12 If he is a poor man, do not lie down with the garment he has given as security.

Deuteronomy 24:13 Be sure to return it to him at sunset. Then he will lie down in it and celebrate you, and this will be counted as righteousness to you before Yahveh, your God.

Deuteronomy 24:14 “Do not exploit[1] a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether one of your Israelite brothers or one of the guests in a town in your land.

Deuteronomy 24:15 You are to pay him his wages each day before the sun sets because he is poor and his throat depends on them. Otherwise, he will cry out to Yahveh against you, and you will be held guilty of the failure.

Deuteronomy 24:16 “Fathers are not to be put to death for their children, and children are not to be put to death for their fathers; each person will be put to death for his failure.

Deuteronomy 24:17 Do not deny justice to a guest or fatherless child, and do not take a widow’s garment as security.

Deuteronomy 24:18 Remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and Yahveh, your God, redeemed you from there. Therefore, I am commanding you to do this.

Deuteronomy 24:19 “When you reap the harvest in your field, and you forget a sheaf in the field, do not go back to get it. It is to be left for the guest, the fatherless, and the widow, so that Yahveh your God may empower you in all the work of your hands.

Deuteronomy 24:20 When you knock down the fruit from your olive tree, do not go over the branches again. What remains will be for the guest, the fatherless, and the widow.

Deuteronomy 24:21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left. What remains will be for the guest, the fatherless, and the widow.

Deuteronomy 24:22 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. Therefore I am commanding you to do this.

[1]עָשַׁק = exploit. Deuteronomy 24:14; 28:29, 33.

Deuteronomy 24 quotes:

“If the man decided to divorce the woman, he was to write out a bill of divorce and formally serve it on the woman. She was then sent away from the man’s house, but possession of the bill of divorce gave her a certain protection under law from any further action by the man, In the situation envisaged by this particular piece of legislation, the divorced woman then remarries another man. The second marriage is terminated, either by a second divorce or by the death of the second husband. Now comes the specific legislation: under all these circumstances, the first man may not remarry his former wife. After she has been defiled—the language (defiled) suggests adultery (see Lev. 18:20). The sense is that the woman’s remarriage after the first divorce is similar to adultery in that the woman cohabits with another man. However, if the woman were then to remarry her first husband, after divorcing the second, the analogy with adultery would become even more complete; the woman lives first with one man, then another, and finally returns to the first. Thus the intent of the legislation seems to be to apply certain restrictions on the already existing practice of divorce.”

Craigie, Peter C.. The Book of Deuteronomy (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) (p. 305). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.

“This is not a general law permitting divorce or setting forth grounds for it, but simply takes the practice of divorce for granted (cf. 22:19, 29). The case is therefore a special one, framed in a casuistic fashion (as an ‘if ’ or hypothetical situation). The first three verses are the protasis (‘if ’ section), describing a situation of successive marriages that have terminated. Then verse 4 contains the apodosis (‘then’ section) which supplies the consequence to verses 1–3, and brings the law to a conclusion.”

Woods, Edward J.. Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries Book 5) . InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

The DEUTERONOMY shelf in Jeff’s library.

Deuteronomy 23

Deuteronomy 23

Deuteronomy 23:1 “No man whose testicles have been crushed or whose penis has been eliminated may enter Yahveh’s collected assembly.

Deuteronomy 23:2 No one of illegitimate birth may enter Yahveh’s collected assembly; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, may enter Yahveh’s collected assembly.

Deuteronomy 23:3 No Ammonite or Moabite may enter Yahveh’s collected assembly; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, may enter Yahveh’s collected assembly permanently.

Deuteronomy 23:4 This is because they did not meet you with food and water on the journey after you came out of Egypt and because Balaam, son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaim, was hired to curse you.

Deuteronomy 23:5 Yet Yahveh, your God, would not listen to Balaam, but he turned the affliction into empowerment for you because Yahveh, your God, cares about you.

Deuteronomy 23:6 Never pursue their welfare or prosperity all your days – permanently.

Deuteronomy 23:7 Do not despise an Edomite, because he is your brother. Do not despise an Egyptian because you were a guest in his land.

Deuteronomy 23:8 The children born to them in the third generation may enter Yahveh’s collected assembly.

Deuteronomy 23:9 “When you are encamped against your enemies, be careful to avoid anything offensive.

Deuteronomy 23:10 If there is a man among you who is not pure because of a bodily emission during the night, he must go outside the camp; he may not come anywhere inside the camp.

Deuteronomy 23:11 When evening approaches, he is to wash with water, and when the sun sets, he may come inside the camp.

Deuteronomy 23:12 You are to have a place outside the camp and go there to relieve yourself.

Deuteronomy 23:13 You are to have a digging tool in your equipment; when you relieve yourself, dig a hole with it and cover up your excrement.

Deuteronomy 23:14 You see, Yahveh, your God, walks throughout your camp to protect you and deliver your enemies to you, so your encampments must be sacred. He must not see anything indecent among you, or he will turn away from you.

Deuteronomy 23:15 “Do not return a slave to his master when he has escaped from his master to you.

Deuteronomy 23:16 Let him stay among you wherever he wants within your city gates. Do not mistreat him.

Deuteronomy 23:17 “No Israelite woman is to be a cult prostitute, and no Israelite man is to be a cult prostitute.

Deuteronomy 23:18 Do not bring a female prostitute’s wages or a male prostitute’s earnings into the house of Yahveh your God to fulfill any solemn pledge because both are repulsive to Yahveh your God.

Deuteronomy 23:19 “Do not charge your brother interest on silver, food, or anything that can earn interest.

Deuteronomy 23:20 You may charge a foreigner interest. Still, you must not charge your brother Israelite interest so that Yahveh, your God, may empower you in everything you do in the land you are entering to take possession of.

Deuteronomy 23:21 “If you make a solemn pledge to Yahveh your God, do not be slow to keep it, because he will require it of you, and it will be counted against you as a failure.

Deuteronomy 23:22 But if you refrain from making a vow, it will not be counted against you as a failure.

Deuteronomy 23:23 Be careful to do whatever comes from your lips because you have spontaneously voluntarily vowed what you promised to Yahveh, your God.

Deuteronomy 23:24 “When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat as many grapes as you want until you are full, but do not put any in your container.

Deuteronomy 23:25 When you enter your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck heads of grain with your hand, but do not put a sickle to your neighbor’s grain.

Deuteronomy 23 quotes:

“We are persuaded that every true servant of Christ must be a man of one idea, and that idea is Christ; he must belong to the very oldest school — the school of Christ ; he must be as narrow as the truth of God; and he must, with stern decision, refuse to move one hair’s breadth in the direction of this infidel age. We cannot shake off the conviction that the effort on the part of the preachers and teachers of Christendom to keep abreast of the literature of the day must, to a very large extent, account for the rapid advance of rationalism and infidelity. They have got away from the holy Scriptures, and sought to adorn their ministry by the resources of philosophy, science, and literature. They have catered more for the intellect than for the heart and conscience. The pure and precious doctrines of holy Scripture, the sincere milk of the Word, the gospel of the grace of God and of the glory of Christ, were found insufficient to attract and keep together large congregations.”

Mackintosh Charles Henry. Notes on the Book of Deuteronomy. Loizeaux Bros 1880. p. 349.

“The common theme running through the laws contained in this section1 is the question of admission to the assembly of the Lord (vv. 2, 3, 4, 9). The assembly (qāhāl) of the Lord refers to the covenant people of God, particularly when they are gathered in his presence. Although the normal use of the noun (and the related verb) in Deuteronomy appears in a context dealing with Horeb/Sinai,2 here the word has general reference to Israel as a worshipping community.3 Thus to enter the assembly of the Lord would indicate a person who became a true Israelite and who therefore shared in the worship of the Lord. The expression is somewhat narrower in its intent than Israel, taksn as a whole, for there would be resident aliens and others who, though a part of the community,4 were nevertheless not full members of it.”

Craigie, Peter C.. The Book of Deuteronomy (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) (p. 296). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.

The DEUTERONOMY shelf in Jeff’s library.

Deuteronomy 22

Deuteronomy 22

Deuteronomy 22:1 “If you see your brother Israelite’s ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it; make sure you return it to your brother.

Deuteronomy 22:2 If your brother does not live near you or you don’t know him, you are to bring the animal to your home to remain with you until your brother comes looking for it; then you can return it to him.

Deuteronomy 22:3 Do the same for his donkey, his garment, or anything your brother has lost and you have found. You must not ignore it.

Deuteronomy 22:4 If you see your brother’s donkey or ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it; help him lift it.

Deuteronomy 22:5 “A woman is not to wear male clothing, and a man is not to put on a woman’s garment, for everyone who does these things is repulsive to Yahveh your God.

Deuteronomy 22:6 “If you come across a bird’s nest with chicks or eggs, either in a tree or on the land along the road, and the mother is sitting on the chicks or eggs, do not take the mother along with the young.

Deuteronomy 22:7 You may take the young for yourself, but be sure to let the mother go free so that you may prosper and live long.

Deuteronomy 22:8 If you build a new house, make a railing around your roof so that you don’t place bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it.

Deuteronomy 22:9 Do not plant your vineyard with two types of seed; or else, the entire harvest, both the crop you plant and the produce of the vineyard, will become defiled.

Deuteronomy 22:10 Do not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

Deuteronomy 22:11 Do not wear clothes made of both wool and linen.

Deuteronomy 22:12 Make tassels on the four corners of the outer garment you wear.

Deuteronomy 22:13 “If a man marries a woman, has sexual relations with her, and comes to hate her,

Deuteronomy 22:14 and places an accusation on her of shameful conduct and gives her a bad name, saying, ‘I married this woman and was intimate with her, but I didn’t find any evidence of her virginity,’

Deuteronomy 22:15 the young woman’s father and mother will take the evidence of her virginity and bring it to the city elders at the city gate.

Deuteronomy 22:16 The young woman’s father will say to the elders, ‘I gave my daughter to this man as a wife, but he hates her.

Deuteronomy 22:17 Notice he has placed an accusation on her of shameful conduct, and this is what he said: “I didn’t find any evidence of your daughter’s virginity,” but here is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.’ They will spread out the cloth before the city elders.

Deuteronomy 22:18 Then the elders of that city will take the man and punish him.

Deuteronomy 22:19 They will also fine him a hundred silver shekels and give them to the young woman’s father because that man gave an Israelite virgin a bad name. She will remain his wife; he cannot divorce her as long as he lives.

Deuteronomy 22:20 But if this accusation is true and no evidence of the young woman’s virginity is found,

Deuteronomy 22:21 they will bring the woman to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city will stone her to death. You see, she has committed an outrage in Israel by being promiscuous while living in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from you.

Deuteronomy 22:22 “If a man is discovered having sexual relations with another man’s wife, both the man who had sex with the woman and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

Deuteronomy 22:23 If there is a young woman who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man encounters her in the city and sleeps with her,

Deuteronomy 22:24 takes the two of them out to the gate of that city and stones them to death – the young woman because she did not cry out in the town and the man because he has humiliated his neighbor’s fiancée. You must purge the evil from you.

Deuteronomy 22:25 But if the man encounters an engaged woman in the open country, and he holds her firmly and rapes her, only the man who raped her must die.

Deuteronomy 22:26 Do nothing to the young woman, because she is not guilty of a failure deserving death. This case is just like one in which a man attacks his neighbor and murders him.

Deuteronomy 22:27 When he found her in the field, the engaged woman cried out, but there was no one to rescue her.

Deuteronomy 22:28 If a man encounters a young woman, a virgin who is not engaged, takes hold of her and rapes her, and they are discovered,

Deuteronomy 22:29 the man who raped her is to give the young woman’s father fifty silver shekels, and she will become his wife because he humiliated her. He cannot divorce her as long as he lives.

Deuteronomy 22:30 “A man is not to marry his father’s wife; he must not violate his father’s marriage bed.

Deuteronomy 22 quotes:

“Let us never forget this ; it is a wholesome truth for every one of us. We all need to bear in mind that if God were to withdraw His sustaininsr ofrace for one moment, tliere is no depth of iniquity’ into which we are not capable of plunging; indeed, we may add — and wo do it with deep thankfulness — it is His own gracious hand that preserves us, each moment, from becoming a complete wreck in every way, — physically, mentally, morally, spiritually, and in our circumstances. May we keep this ever in the remembrance of the thoughts of our hearts, so that we may walk humbly and watchfully, and lean upon that arm which alone can sustain and preserve us.”

Mackintosh Charles Henry. Notes on the Book of Deuteronomy. Loizeaux Bros 1880. p. 341.

“The law, in the address of Moses, not only contains prohibitions, but also requires positive action on the part of the Israelites in particular circumstances. Here, it is prescribed that an Israelite offer assistance to his fellow Israelite (brother); such assistance would require personal effort and initiative. The law counters a natural human tendency not to get involved or not to go out of one’s way to help another. Two categories of assistance are noted: (a) the restoration of lost property (vv. 1–3); (b) direct aid to a neighbor in a difficult circumstance (v. 4). The principle underlying the legislation is the same in both instances.”

Craigie, Peter C.. The Book of Deuteronomy (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) (p. 286). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.

The DEUTERONOMY shelf in Jeff’s library.

Deuteronomy 21

Deuteronomy 21

Deuteronomy 21:1 “If a murder victim is found lying in a field in the land Yahveh your God is giving you to take possession of, and it is not known who killed him,

Deuteronomy 21:2 your elders and judges are to come out and measure the distance from the victim to the nearby cities.

Deuteronomy 21:3 The elders of the city nearest to the victim are to get a young cow that has not been yoked or used for work.

Deuteronomy 21:4 The elders of that city will bring the cow down to a continually flowing stream, to a place not tilled or planted, and they will break its neck there by the stream.

Deuteronomy 21:5 Then the priests, the sons of Levi, will come forward, because Yahveh your God has chosen them to minister to him and pronounce empowerments in his name, and they are to give a ruling in every dispute and case of assault.

Deuteronomy 21:6 All the elders of the city nearest to the victim will wash their hands by the stream over the young cow whose neck has been broken.

Deuteronomy 21:7 They will answer, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood; our eyes did not see it.

Deuteronomy 21:8 Yahveh, absolve[1] the guilt of your people, Israel, whom you redeemed, and do not hold the shedding of innocent blood against them.’ Then, the responsibility for bloodshed will be absolved from them.

Deuteronomy 21:9 You must purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood because you will be doing what is right in Yahveh’s sight.

Deuteronomy 21:10 “When you go to war against your enemies and Yahveh your God hands them over to you and you take some of them prisoner, and

Deuteronomy 21:11 if you see a beautiful woman among the captives, desire her, and want to take her as your wife,

Deuteronomy 21:12 you are to bring her into your house. She is to shave her head, trim her nails,

Deuteronomy 21:13 remove the clothes she was wearing when she was taken prisoner, live in your house, and mourn for her father and mother a whole month. After that, you may have sexual relations with her and be her husband, and she will be your wife.

Deuteronomy 21:14 But if you do not treasure her, you are to let her go as her personality prefers, and you must not sell her or treat her as merchandise because you have humiliated her.

Deuteronomy 21:15 “If a man has two wives, one cared about and the other not cared about, and both the cared about and the not cared about bear him sons, and if the wife not cared about has the firstborn son,

Deuteronomy 21:16 when that man gives what he has to his sons as an inheritance, he is not to show favoritism to the son of the wife cared about as his firstborn over the firstborn of the not cared about wife.

Deuteronomy 21:17 He must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the wife he did not care about, by giving him two shares of his estate because he is the first of his virility; he legally deserves the firstborn’s share.

Deuteronomy 21:18 “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father or mother and doesn’t listen to them even after they discipline him,

Deuteronomy 21:19 his father and mother are to take hold of him and bring him to the elders of his city, to the gate of his hometown.

Deuteronomy 21:20 They will say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he doesn’t obey us. He’s a glutton and a drunkard.’

Deuteronomy 21:21 Then all the men of his city will stone him to death. You must purge the evil from you, and all Israel will hear and be afraid.

Deuteronomy 21:22 “If anyone is found guilty of a failure deserving the death penalty and is executed, and you hang his body on a tree,

Deuteronomy 21:23 you are not to leave his corpse on the tree overnight but are to bury him that day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God’s affliction. You must not defile the land Yahveh your God is giving you as an inheritance.

[1]כָּפַר (piel) = absolve. Deuteronomy 21:8; 32:43.

Deuteronomy 21 quotes:

“A very suggestive and interesting passage of holy Scripture now lies open before us, and claims our attention. A sin is committed — a man is found slain in the land, but no one knows aught about it; no one can tell whether it is murder ov manslaughter, or who committed the deed. It lies entirely bej’ond the range of human knowledge ; and yet there it is — an undenialjle fact. Sin has been committed, and it lies as a stain on the Lord’s land, and man is wholly incompetent to deal with it.

What, then, is to be done ? The glory of God and the purity of His land must be maintained. He knows all about it, and He alone can deal with it; and truly His mode of dealing with it is full of most precious teaching.

First of all, tlie elders and judges appear on the scene. Tlie claims of truth and righteousness must be duly attended to ; justice and judgment must be perfectly maintained. This is a gieat cardinal truth, running all through the Word of God. Sin must be judged ere siiis can be forgiven or the sinner justified. Ere mercy’s heavenly voice can be beard, justice must be perfectly satisfied, the throne of God vindicated, and His name glorified. Grace must reign through I’ighteousness. Blessed be God that it is so ! Wiiat a glorious truth for all who have taken their true place as sinners ! God has been glorified as to the question of sin, and therefore He can, in perfect righteousness, pardon and justify the sinner.”

Mackintosh Charles Henry. Notes on the Book of Deuteronomy. Loizeaux Bros 1880. pp. 330-331.

“In the earlier legislation, distinctions have been made between manslaughter and murder, together with the manner of dealing with such crimes (17:8; 19:4–13). In this passage it is envisaged that a crime has taken place (presumably murder, though it could have been manslaughter), but the authorities do not know who was responsible for the crime. Because of the religious implications of murder, incurring guilt for the whole land, the matter could not simply be left (to use modern language) as an open file at the police headquarters. Some action had to be taken immediately, though the action described in these verses does not preclude the continuing investigation into the cause of the death by the officers of the law. Both the crime and the procedure involved have parallels in Near Eastern literature and legal texts,1 though at a number of points the Israelite practice is quite distinctive.”

Craigie, Peter C.. The Book of Deuteronomy (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) (p. 278). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.

Deuteronomy 21 links:

bypassing preferences
from captive to family
hand washing cow
in retrospect- removing the shame
staying compliant and connected
transvestites and mother bird theft
why he was taken down

The DEUTERONOMY shelf in Jeff’s library.

Day: December 31, 2025

JOY

Deuteronomy 24

Deuteronomy 24

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Deuteronomy 23

Deuteronomy 23

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Deuteronomy 22

Deuteronomy 22

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Deuteronomy 21

Deuteronomy 21

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