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Scripture Reading: Deut. 22:1-12; 25:4; 23:1-8
In this message we will cover the general statutes and judgments concerning taking care of others' interests, concerning mixtures of any kind, concerning the sparing of the producing animals, and concerning the losing of the right to enter the congregation of Jehovah.
In 22:1-4, 8 we have a word concerning taking care of others' interests.
An Israelite was not to see his brother's ox or sheep straying and neglect them; he was to return them to his brother (v. 1).
The word brother in 22:1 indicates that, in the sight of God, all the children of Israel were members of one family. The entire nation was a great family. The straying ox or sheep was an animal belonging not merely to another man but to one's brother. To return such a straying ox or sheep to the brother was to take care of the brother's interests. Among us today, there should be the practice of caring for the interests of the brothers and sisters.
If his brother was not nearby him, or if he did not know who he was, the Israelite was to bring the straying ox or sheep to his own house until his brother demanded it (v. 2a). Then he was to return it to him (v. 2b).
"Thus shall you do with his donkey; and thus shall you do with his clothing; and thus shall you do with any of your brother's lost things, which he has lost and you have found. You may not neglect them" (v. 3). This indicates that an Israelite who found any of his brother's lost things was to take care of it for him.
An Israelite was not to see his brother's donkey or ox fallen by the way and neglect them; he had to lift them up with the brother (v. 4). In such a case, the owner was present, but he needed help to lift up the donkey or ox.
When an Israelite built a new house, he was to make a low wall around the edge of his roof so that he did not put the guilt of blood on his house if someone fell from it (v. 8). In those days, the houses had flat roofs. A low wall around the edge of the roof could protect a person from falling from the roof.
Deuteronomy 22:5, 9-12 is concerned with mixtures of any kind.
A woman was not to put on a man's belongings, nor was a man to wear a woman's garment (v. 5a). Everyone who did these things was an abomination to Jehovah their God (v. 5b). The appearance of the brothers and sisters should be such that there is a clear distinction between male and female.
"You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the full produce, the seed which you sow, is forfeited to the sanctuary, as well as the increase of the vineyard" (v. 9). Literally, the Hebrew rendered "is forfeited to the sanctuary" means "be sanctified." Darby's note on this verse says, "Lit. 'hallowed,' or 'set apart to God,' i.e. appropriated to the sanctuary as a forfeit." If an Israelite sowed two kinds of seed in his vineyard, neither the produce of that seed nor the increase of the vineyard would be his. He was not allowed to keep them for himself. Instead, this produce and increase, having been forfeited, would be God's. This means that his labor in sowing his vineyard with two kinds of seed would be in vain.
I believe that the prohibition against sowing two kinds of seed in one's vineyard typifies the prohibition against teaching differently in the church (1 Tim. 1:3). The church is God's vineyard, and in this vineyard we should sow only one kind of seed, one kind of teaching. If we teach differently, sowing more than one kind of seed, the "produce" in the church will be forfeited.
An Israelite was not to plow with an ox and a donkey together (Deut. 22:10). This typifies the matter of becoming "unequally yoked with unbelievers" (2 Cor. 6:14a). "Unequally" means diversely, a difference in kind. According to Leviticus 11, an ox is a clean animal, but a donkey is unclean. In Deuteronomy 22:10 an ox typifies a believer and a donkey typifies an unbeliever. Believers and unbelievers are diverse peoples. They should not be yoked together because of the believers' divine nature and holy standing. This should be applied to all manner of intimate relationships between believers and unbelievers, including marriage and business. If a brother marries an unbelieving woman or if a sister marries an unbelieving man, there will be an unequal yoking of a believer and an unbeliever, and it will be difficult for them to live together. If a believer has an unbeliever as a business partner, the believer may have problems. For instance, the unbeliever may want to do certain things that are dishonest. As believers, we should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for this is a mixture, and every kind of mixture is abominable in the eyes of God.
An Israelite was not to wear clothing of mixed materials, of wool and linen together (v. 11). Wool comes from sheep, and linen is made from plants. God did not want the Israelites to mix these materials together.
An Israelite was to make twisted cords upon the four corners of his garment with which he covered himself (v. 12). The Hebrew word translated "corners" can also be rendered "edges." The requirement here may refer to what is mentioned in Numbers 15:38. "Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put upon the tassel of each corner a cord of blue." In this verse "cord" signifies binding, and "blue" signifies something heavenly; hence a blue cord indicates a heavenly binding. For us today, this cord of blue signifies that, as children of God, our conduct and behavior should be beautiful and should be under the binding of the heavenly government.
Deuteronomy 22:6 and 7 and 25:4 deal with sparing the producing animals.
If an Israelite came upon a bird's nest in the way, in any tree or on the ground, and the mother was sitting upon the young birds or eggs, he was not to take the mother with the young (22:6). He had to let the mother go, but the young he could take for himself, that it might go well with him and that he might extend his days (v. 7). This indicates that he was to spare the producing animal. Even a matter such as this is related to blessing, indicated by the words "it may go well with you," and longevity, indicated by the words "that you may extend your days." If an Israelite wanted a blessed, healthy, and long life, he had to fulfill the requirement concerning the sparing of a producing animal. Some brothers and sisters are like mother birds, and we need to take care of them.
"You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain" (25:4). It would not have been fair for an ox to be muzzled and thus unable to eat while it was working. Certain brothers are like producing oxen (1 Cor. 9:9; 1 Tim. 5:18). If a brother produces something for us, we must not "muzzle" him. In relation to the brothers and sisters today, we should keep the statute concerning sparing the producing animals.
Deuteronomy 23:1-8 is a word concerning the losing of the right to enter the congregation of Jehovah. No doubt, the congregation of Jehovah typifies the church. We need to be careful not to lose our right to enter the church.
He who had been wounded in the testicles or had the male organ cut off was not to enter the congregation of Jehovah (v. 1). In such a one the power to produce had been destroyed. This prohibition indicates that those who are barren, those who do not produce and bear fruit, will lose their right to enter the church life.
An illegitimate child was not to enter the congregation of Jehovah, even to the tenth generation (v. 2). The life of such a one was illegal and impure.
An Ammonite or Moabite was not to enter the congregation of Jehovah, even to the tenth generation (v. 3). Both Ammon and Moab were sons of Lot, born through incest committed by Lot with his daughters. Ammonites and Moabites could not enter the congregation of Jehovah because they did not come to meet the children of Israel with bread and water in the way when the people were coming out of Egypt (v. 4a). They were prohibited from entering the congregation of Jehovah also because they hired Balaam to curse the children of Israel (v. 4b). Jehovah their God would not listen to Balaam, and He turned the curse into a blessing, for Jehovah loved them (v. 5). The children of Israel were not to seek the peace and the prosperity of the Ammonites and the Moabites all their days forever (v. 6).
The children of Israel were not to abhor an Edomite, for he was their brother (v. 7a). Neither were they to abhor an Egyptian, for they had been a sojourner in his land (v. 7b). The children of the third generation of the Edomites and the Egyptians could enter the congregation of Jehovah (v. 8). In a sense, the Egyptians did something good for the children of Israel, and the Edomites did not trouble them but allowed them to pass through their territory. Therefore, God remembered the Edomites and the Egyptians and allowed them to enter His congregation.
As we consider all the matters covered in this message, we see how careful, detailed, kind, and fair God is. Because we have God's life, we should learn of Him to be the same as He is. We need to learn to care for the interests of our brothers, the fellow members of the Body of Christ. We must also learn to be without mixture but pure in every way and in every aspect. In our living there should not be any mixture, for God wants us to be single, simple, and pure. Therefore, we need to eliminate all mixture and keep ourselves pure. Moreover, we should love the producing things and be careful not to lose the right to enter the congregation of the Lord. In order to do all these things, we need the divine life, the life that works with God for His people.
If we thoroughly study all these matters, we will know God better and also know what kind of person we should be, what kind of being we should have, and in what kind of way we should walk. We should walk before God and with God according to what God is. Let us learn God's ways and not merely learn doctrine. Let us learn what God is and how He acts and behaves. If we take the Lord's way and what He is, we will be transformed into His image.
