The land of Israel, the land of promise, was to be a land of justice and equity.
Strict punishment was to be meted out to those who broke the law, so that all Israel would be admonished to fear the Lord.
All rolled into one (Deuteronomy 24)
“Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt.”
The Lord must be implying here that, had He not redeemed them by His strong hand, they would still be slaves in Egypt.
It is not possible to have any perspective without remembering the past.
If indeed Heaven is a place of unspeakable joy and celebration, perhaps it is because there the past, the present, and the future are all rolled into one.
Bastard curse (Deuteronomy 23)
“If a person is illegitimate by birth, neither he nor his descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the Lord.”
This is the so-called “bastard curse”, and it is very difficult to understand.
The New Testament scripture comes to mind, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law.”
For this reason (Deuteronomy 22)
“You must not plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together.”
The ox chews its cud and its hooves are split; not so with the donkey. The ox was considered a clean animal. The donkey was considered an unclean animal. For this reason, the Israelites were forbidden to harness the two animals together.
Solemn responsibility (Deuteronomy 21)
“In this way, you will purge this evil from among you.”
The people of Israel had a solemn responsibility to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with their God in the land He was giving them.
You and I are the heirs of the spiritual blessings given to Israel, and the solemn responsibilities that attend them.
Such confidence (Deuteronomy 20)
“Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.”
Before the armies of Israel went into battle, the commanding officers would stand before the troops and give leave to any soldier who had just become engaged, or had just planted a vineyard, or was afraid or worried, i.e., was not confident that the Lord would be with him in the battle.
Such confidence did not guarantee that the soldier would not be killed in battle. It did signify, however, his commitment to the Lord whose battle it was.
Promises to keep (Deuteronomy 19)
“And if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he swore to your ancestors…”
And if . The eternal God is not arbitrary; he does not go back on his promises. But there were conditions and consequences associated with the covenant. God had promises to keep, but so did the people of Israel.
Possessions (Deuteronomy 18)
“The Lord himself is their special possession.”
What are all other possessions compared to this?
Read it daily (Deuteronomy 17)
“He must read it daily as long as he lives…This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud, and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens.”
This command was given to all the future kings of Israel. The king was to set the example for everyone in his kingdom. The words of the Lord were to be exalted above all.
Businessman or not (Deuteronomy 16)
“Honor the Lord your God…for it is he who…gives you success in all your work.”
What a wonderful verse for the businessman trying to cope with the pressures of work.
It is a reminder to each of us—businessman or not—that our life is to be God-centered.
