SCRIPTURE: Deuteronomy 21
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
“Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid.” [Deuteronomy 21:21] I am having a tough time connecting this passage to Jesus. The part about marrying the foreign woman, then putting her away if you were no longer happy with her? Then the parents having their son put to death. Guidelines for the son of the wife you do not love? There is an interesting connection with Jesus about hanging someone on a tree: anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse [see Galatians 3:13].
When I try to connect these readings to Jesus, I get stuck. I suppose that there was some cultural explanation behind these passages. In the end, I do not dwell here, and I turn to Jesus and His words. When dealing with the sinful woman who ought to have been stoned to dead, according to the law, Jesus said to the religious leaders: “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” [John 8:7] I do not want to pit Jesus against the words of Moses, because I do believe that God is speaking through Moses too. But in the end, when I get stuck, I lean towards Jesus. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” [John 1:17]
Somehow I think that this passage in Deuteronomy reflects the messed up nature of our world. The first section about making atonement for the mysterious death, and the part about the person hung on a tree being under a curse, makes me think of the consequence of sin, namely death, and how Jesus took that curse upon Himself.
He died for the murdered, for the captive wives, for the rebellious sons, for the cursed tree-hangers. Through Him, we are forgiven, released, set free. Since we could not purge the evil from us, He did it for us, by taking it upon Himself, being cursed so that I might be blessed.
So though I still struggle with this passage, I see Jesus, and I am comforted, assured, that somehow, God is able to make sense of all this, and set things straight, and overcome the curse. Thank God for Jesus…
PRAYER:
Lord, I do not understand a lot of what I read in the Law, and some of it unsettles me. But I do not focus there, I focus on You. And I have hope.
Not my way, Oh Lord, but Your will be done. The verse nine hit me that stated to purge yourself and do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. When? Whenever! Where? Wherever! In all of life, God is first yet God ‘adjusted’ His rules for living for man’s desires. Yet in our relationships with one another and the Lord, He must be first and obeyed – whether taking a captive wife or the first born, or a rebellious son, or a dead person found in your region – there are ways of doing it His way. Christ Jesus has shown us the way and that is the way I must travel. My pilgrim’s progress – journeying to the Light He is providing each and every day. His will be done also this day.
I need to see Jesus in all of my travels. His Way, not mine. His will, not mine, His plans for me and not my selfish desires. He needs to be first always. I need to live for Jesus also today.
Precious Lord, take my hand.
Lead me on, let me stand.
I am tired, I am weak, and worn.
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light.
Take my hand, precious Lord,
Lead me home.