Deuteronomy 23:1-25
1 He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD.
2 A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.
3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:
4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee
5 Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.
6 Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperitya all thy days for ever.
7 Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land.
8 The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation.
9 When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.
10 If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp:
11 But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again.
12 Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:
13 And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:
14 For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no uncleanb thing in thee, and turn away from thee.
15 Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:
16 He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.
17 There shall be no whorec of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.
18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.
19 Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury
20 Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee
22 But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.
23 That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.
24 When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.
25 When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn.
NECESSARY EXCLUSIONS
(vs.1-8)
A man who was emasculated in any way could not be recognized as one of Israel's congregation (v.1). Such mutilation deprives one of his proper masculinity. The Lord makes a clear distinction between men and women, and in the present day each has distinct functions in the assembly of God. So that the spiritual lesson for us is that we fully assume the responsibilities of our God-given place. Of course in the Church of God today one's physical deformities make no difference to his spiritual blessings.
One of illegitimate birth was to be excluded from the congregation of Israel, and this would extend to the tenth generation of his descendants (v.2). Again, this cannot be literally applied today, but the case is typical of one who is not actually born of God, but born of corruption. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh" (John 3:6), and has no place in the Church of God.
Ammonites and Moabites were placed in the same category, with no reception of them even to the tenth generation (v.3). They had been opposers of Israel from the time Israel came out of Egypt, Moab even hiring Balaam to curse Israel (v.4). Ammon (meaning "peoplish"), whose king was called "Nahash" (meaning "serpent") is a picture of satanically inspired religion and its cunning false doctrines, such as Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, etc. As to Moab: "Moab had been at ease from his youth; he has settled on his dregs, and had not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him and his scent has not changed" (Jeremiah 48:2). Thus, Moab pictures the lazy, self-pleasing religion that has no spiritual exercise whatever, but indulges every selfish desire of the flesh. Neither of these have any place in the Christian testimony, and must be refused.
But God was above the opposition of Ammon and Moab, turning their curses into blessing for Israel (v.5), just as today He blesses His Church in spite of the opposition of false religion. Yet Israel was not to seek the peace or prosperity of these two nations forever (v.6). So believers today must refuse to encourage in any way the evils of such religious deception as is seen in many denominations.
There was a difference in regard to an Edomite, and also an Egyptian (vs.7-8). They were to be treated with more consideration, and after the third generation could be assimilated into Israel, the number three speaking of the judgment of the flesh in death and resurrection. For Edom pictures man in the flesh, not the false deception of Satan as is seen in Ammon and Moab, but simply man without God. How much easier are these to deal with than those who have embraced false religion! Egypt is similar to Edom in this, that it is typical of the world in its independence of God, and Israel had once been in captivity to them, as we all have been at one time suffering bondage in a world away from God.
MAINTAINING A CLEAN CAMP
(vs.9-14)
Israel's camp was to be kept clean. Even if some occurrence took place in the night by which a person became unclean, he was to go outside the camp until he was cleansed by the washing of water in the evening (vs.10-11). Also, having no plumbing facilities, a place was to be provided outside the camp where people could go to dispose of their body wastes. They must bring with them some implement with which to cover the waste with earth afterwards (vs.12-13). Thus we are reminded that whatever spiritual good there may be in our lives, there are excesses that must be disposed of. See Philippians 3:8. for God was in the camp, and in His presence there is no place for uncleanness.
MISCELLANEOUS LAWS
(vs.15-25)
While the law did not forbid slavery, and even in Christianity slaves are told to obey their masters (Ephesians 6:5), yet it was not God's plan that people should be in bondage to one another; and if a slave escaped from his master, coming to an Israelite town, he was not to be delivered back to his master, but allowed to remain within the shelter of the town to which he had come, and given liberty to chose the place he desired to live within their gates (vs.15-16).
Women in Israel were forbidden to be prostitutes and men also forbidden to practice sodomy or prostitution (v.17). Such things were practice in the religious rituals of the nations God was judging in Canaan, for people like to justify their evil practices by making them appear religious. But this made the practice more abominable to God, for it is attaching His name to evil.
Any gains a woman made through prostitution she must not dare to bring as an offering to God (v.18). It would be a gross insult. The same was true as to the price of a dog. Dogs, as unclean animals, are typical of Gentiles in an unclean state of unbelief. What is connected with uncleanness is offensive to God. It was reported not long ago that an owner of a dog racing track gave one million dollars to a so-called television evangelist. Gains gotten by such gambling practices should be absolutely refused by one who does the Lord's work, for God can certainly not accept such things.
In lending money or goods to a brother Israelite, the Jews were not allowed to charge interest (v.19). Christians too should consider it wise not to charge interest to another Christian or to a close relative if lending to them because of an occasion of need. Business practices such as mortgages are of a different character, of course, but the Lord takes account of the unselfish treatment we show toward others, and will repay this in His own way (v.20).
If one made a vow to the Lord he must pay it all at the appointed time (v.21), for negligence in this was sin. How much better not to vow at all than to make a promise and not keep it! This law should have by itself kept Israel from making questionable vows. However, the Lord Jesus, in speaking of this law, says, "But I say to you, do not swear at all" (Matthew 5:33). Man in the flesh is proven by Old Testament history to be untrustworthy, and therefore in the New Testament we are warned against making promises or even announcing what we are going to do in the future, which includes the very near future (James 4:13). For even though we intend to act on our promise, we may find ourselves unable to. What a contrast is seen in God's promises, He who not only promised but "confirmed it by an oath" (Hebrews 6:17), for His promise and His oath are absolute: they cannot be broken.
Last in this section the grace of God and the government of God are seen in beautiful balance (vs.24-25). If passing through another person's vineyard, Israelites were permitted to eat all the grapes they desired. Thus God showed compassion in regard to man's present hunger. But His righteous government firmly forbid carrying any away in a container. The same was true in a field of grain. They could pick heads of grain to eat, but could not cut the grain down, which would of course indicate their intention of taking it away.