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Scripture Reading: Deut. 21:18-23; 22:13-30
In this message we will consider some further matters concerning the government among the people.
In 21:18-21 there is a word regarding the judgment on a stubborn and rebellious son.
If a man had a stubborn and rebellious son, who did not listen to the voice of his parents, even though they chastised him, then his parents were to seize him and bring him forth to the elders of their city and to the gate of their place (vv. 18-19). Among the children of Israel in ancient times, the gate was the place of assembling the congregation.
The parents were to say to the elders of their city that their son was stubborn and rebellious and did not listen to them, and that he was a glutton and a drunkard (v. 20).
All the men of the city were then to stone the son to death. This carrying out of the death sentence was a matter of theocracy, not of human opinion. Through the execution of the stubborn and rebellious son, the evil was to be utterly removed from the midst of the children of Israel, and all Israel would hear and would fear (v. 21).
It would have been very difficult for the parents of a stubborn and rebellious son to bring him to the elders of their city and then to see him stoned to death. Nevertheless, the parents of such a son were required to do this. Otherwise, they would have loved their son more than God's people. To allow such an evil one to remain among the people would have been a damage to them. Therefore, the evil had to be utterly removed from among the children of Israel.
Deuteronomy 21:22-23 is concerned with the hanging of a criminal on a tree. A criminal could be executed not only by being stoned but also by being hanged on a tree. Whereas Stephen was killed by being stoned (Acts 7:58-59), the Lord Jesus was killed by being crucified, that is, by being hanged on a tree. The one hanged on a tree in Deuteronomy 21:22-23 is therefore a type of the crucified Christ.
If in a man there was a sin, a cause worthy of death, and he was put to death and was hanged on a tree, his corpse was not to remain overnight on the tree but had to be buried on that day, for he who was hanged was accursed of God (vv. 22-23). This was exactly the situation when the Lord Jesus was crucified (John 19:31). He was buried on the day of His crucifixion.
The one who was cursed and hanged on the tree was a type of Christ, who was cursed and hanged on the cross to redeem us out of the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13).
Deuteronomy 21:22-23 is an illustration of an important principle — that the Old Testament was written not mainly for the sake of the children of Israel but mainly for the sake of Christ. The primary purpose of the Old Testament is to portray Christ in various ways. This is the reason that Luke 24:27 says of the Lord Jesus, "Beginning from Moses and from all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." Furthermore, in opening the minds of His disciples to understand the Scriptures, He said to them, "All the things must be fulfilled which have been written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and Psalms concerning Me" (Luke 24:44). In Deuteronomy 21 we have a type of Christ as the One who was hanged on the tree, on the cross. Peter used the word tree when speaking of the Lord's crucifixion: "Who Himself carried up our sins in His body onto the tree" (1 Pet. 2:24).
In Deuteronomy 22:13-30 and 24:1-4 we have judgments on matters related to marriage.
This case was to be brought by the wife's parents to the elders of the city. If the husband's charge was proved to be unfounded, the elders were to take the man, chastise him, fine him one hundred shekels of silver, and give it to the wife's father. She was to remain the man's wife; he could not send her away all his days (vv. 13-19). But if the husband's claim was true, and the wife was not found to be a virgin, they were to bring her out to the entrance of her father's house, and the men of the city were to stone her to death (vv. 20-21).
In verse 22 we have the case of a man lying with a woman married to a husband. In this case both were to be put to death. Thus the evil of fornication was to be utterly removed from Israel. God is merciful and compassionate, but He does not want His people to be defiled in His sight. Therefore, in a case such as that in verse 22, the sentence was to be immediate and thorough.
In verses 23 and 24 we have the case of a man lying with an engaged virgin in the city. Both of them were to be stoned to death at the gate of the city, because the girl did not cry out in the city and because the man humbled his neighbor's wife.
The expression his neighbor's wife in verse 24 indicates that, in the sight of God, engagement is equal to marriage. This means that, in God's view, once a man and woman have become engaged, they are husband and wife. Thus, canceling an engagement is equal to divorce. This is illustrated by the case of Mary and Joseph in Matthew 1. Mary had been betrothed, engaged, to Joseph, but because she was with child, he was considering to "put her away." However, the angel said to Joseph, "Fear not to take Mary your wife" (Matt. 1:20). This indicates clearly that, although they did not come together until after the birth of Jesus (v. 25), they were nevertheless married in the sight of God.
Since in the eyes of God engagement is equal to marriage, I would urge the young people to take the matter of engagement very seriously. Marriage should be approached with fear and reverence. For a sister to be engaged means that she has already become a wife. Although an engaged couple have not come together, in the sight of God they are husband and wife.
Deuteronomy 22:25-27 speaks concerning a man lying with an engaged girl in the field by overpowering her. In this case only the man was to be put to death (v. 25). The girl was not to be condemned, because she cried out in the field and there was no one to save her (v. 27). She was innocent.
In the case of a man lying with an unengaged virgin (22:28-29), the man was to give fifty shekels of silver to the virgin's father. The virgin was then to be the man's wife because he humbled her. He was not allowed to send her away all his days.
A man was not to take his father's wife, so that he would not uncover his father's garment (22:30).
In 24:1-4 we have a word concerning divorce. When a man married a woman and, having found some indecency in her, he wrote her a bill of divorce and sent her away, and she went to be another man's wife, and the latter husband despised her and wrote her a bill of divorce and sent her away, the former husband could not return to take her again. Likewise, if the latter husband died, the former husband could not take her again. Such a thing was an abomination before Jehovah. God's people must fear Him in doing all things, for He wants to see that His people are pure and decent in every way.
The word indecency in 24:1 is significant. Indecency kills marriage. Therefore, we all must avoid every kind of indecency. God has created us male and female, and there is a big difference between male and female. In her conduct, a sister should always be mindful of the fact that she is a female. For example, a sister, whether married or single, should not talk too freely with a brother or sit too closely to a brother. Furthermore, the sisters should avoid indecency in the matter of dress, not clothing themselves in an indecent manner. The purpose of clothing is not primarily to protect us from the cold but to cover our nakedness. As God's people, we should be a testimony to Him even in the way we clothe ourselves. If the sisters avoid indecency, they will preserve themselves and maintain their status as females. For the sake of a proper married life, we must avoid all indecency.
