Tag: Deuteronomy 21-26
Purging evil from the congregation!
Scripture reading for February 27th: Deuteronomy 21-26
“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, then his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard.” Then all the men of the town shall stone him to death. You must purge evil from among you. All Israel will hear it and be afraid.” (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)
One form evil was dishonoring and rebelling against parents. This case was not a first incident, but had been dealt with many times without repentance by the son. The son had refused to listen and be corrected by his parents was exhibiting rebellion that if left uncorrected would spread evil to the community. Discipline was to be used to remove it or drive it out of one’s home or life. Evil leads to death and that can spread to others in the community.
Now, don’t jump to the conclusion that we should stone our children today! This law was for God’s family under the old covenant. But it can teach us principles that will help us raise godly children who will be a blessing to the community. We must not tolerate evil in our children, but discipline them in love and teach them God’s Word. Swift punishment of evil instills a holy fear of God’s Word and reinforces the seriousness of evil as a source of death. Notice the elders with wisdom and maturity were called upon to help. They cared about all the children and the future well-being of the community.
The general lesson for us is our need for a clear definition of good and evil. This is found in the Word of God. The community working together to purge evil and promote respect for God’s law was foundational to God’s blessing of His people. Contemplate these truths and ask God how to apply them personally and in the community we belong to!
Purging out evil!
Scripture reading for February 28th: Deuteronomy 21-26
One of the most difficult things to do is to change. We are by nature procrastinators and easily get comfortable with sin. We blame others for our bad habits and use the victim mentality to justify our own rebellion. We easily judge others who are “worse than us”. In today’s reading we can gain insight about the radical methods needed to remove sin and guilt from our lives and community.
“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, then his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard.” Then all the men of the town shall stone him to death. You must purge evil from among you. All Israel will hear it and be afraid.” (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)
What is evil? According to this passage, one form is dishonoring your God-given authority. This is a breaking of God’s law, the only true source of knowing good and evil. A son who refuses to listen and be corrected by his parents is exhibiting evil. Evil cannot be negotiated with or excused. Discipline is to be used to remove it or drive it out of one’s home or life. Evil affects communities and spreads if not dealt with. Sin’s final consequence is death and that can spread to a whole community.
Now, don’t jump to the conclusion that we should stone our children today. This law was for God’s family under the old covenant. It is teaching us principles of parenting and community involvement in setting standards for evil and its removal. A swift and severe punishment instills a holy fear of God’s Word and reinforces the seriousness of evil as a source of death. Notice the elders were involved here. Those with wisdom and maturity helped the family with the rebellious child. Their goal was removing evil from the midst of the community, not just placating the child or parents. They cared about all the children and the future. Contemplate these truths and ask God how to apply them personally and in the community we belong to!
God’s Treasured Possession
Scripture reading for February 27th: Deuteronomy 21-26
Everyone needs encouragement and God offers that to His children. In the New Testament, He is known as a God of hope and encouragement! (Romans 15:5-6) His word also gives hope and encouragement to His people and as Moses ends this second message, he speaks a wonderful word of encouragement.
“You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in His ways, that you will keep His decrees, commands and laws, and that you will obey Him. And the Lord has declared this day that you are His people, His treasured possession as He promised, and that you are to keep all His commands. He has declared that He will set you in praise, fame, and honor high above all the nations He has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as He has promised.” (Deuteronomy 26:17-19)
This conclusion sums up the covenant promises and conditions that each party verbally agreed to do. God’s people promised to walk in God’s ways and keep His laws and fully obey Him. They willingly offered their pledge of faithfulness. God, Himself, adopted the Israelites as His very own people. In fact, they were his treasured possession. God kept them as a man would keep a very special treasure. He would guard them and watch over them with great care.
God further promised to set His people above the other nations and give them praise and fame and honor. This praise and fame and honor would come from their “holiness”. They would be whole because obedience to God’s law brings perfect love and healing into our life. Those who fully followed and obeyed the Lord would enjoy exaltation by the Lord Himself!
It is interesting to note that God’s people failed to fully keep the law. Only Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came from this set-apart nation would be able to do this. Because He did, He was set on high above all and given a name above every name. (Philippians 2:8-11) When we put our trust in Jesus Christ, we become God’s treasured possession too! “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1st Peter 2:9)
Purging evil from our midst!
Scripture reading for February 27: Deuteronomy 21-26
One of the most difficult things to do is to change. We are by nature procrastinators and easily get comfortable with sin and evil in our lives and culture. We blame others for our bad habits and use the victim mentality to justify our own rebellion. We easily judge others who are “worse than us” and can see their need to change. Looking in the mirror and admitting that I need to change is another story. In today’s reading from Mose’s sermon to the younger generation we can gain insight about the radical methods needed to remove sin and guilt from our lives and community. This blog is inspired by a statement that is repeated many times by Moses: “purge evil from among you”.
“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, then his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard.” Then all the men of the town shall stone him to death. You must purge evil from among you. All Israel will hear it and be afraid.” (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)
What is evil? According to this passage, one form of it is dishonoring and rebelling against your God-given authority. This is a breaking of God’s law, the only true source of knowing good and evil. A son who refuses to listen and be corrected by his parents is exhibiting rebellion and evil. Evil cannot be negotiated with or excused. Discipline is to be used to remove it or drive it out of one’s home or life. Evil affects communities and spreads if not dealt with. It is more than a personal matter. Sin’s final consequence is death and that can spread to a whole community.
Now, don’t jump to the conclusion that we should stone our children today. This law was for God’s family under the old covenant. It is teaching us principles of parenting and community involvement in setting standards for evil and its removal. If we tolerate evil, it always spreads. A lack of swift justice or discipline allows evil to grow. A swift and severe punishment instills a holy fear of God’s Word and reinforces the seriousness of evil as a source of death. Notice the elders were involved here. Those with wisdom and maturity helped the family with the rebellious child. Their goal was removing evil from the midst of the community, not just placating the child or parents. They cared about all the children and the future.
There are other examples throughout this section of scripture. The general lesson for us is our need for a clear definition of good and evil in community. The community working together to purge evil and promote good by respect for God’s law is foundational to God’s blessing of His people. Contemplate these truths and ask God how to apply them personally and in the community we belong to!