Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Tuesday - Deuteronomy 22 - Courtesy, Caution & Common Sense

Clearly, God expects us to use common sense as well as Spiritual wisdom in the interpretation and application of the Old Testament (II Timothy 3:16).  There were some laws that were intended to be temporary regulations aimed at maintaining a proper peculiarity and a degree of separation among the elect people of God (Deuteronomy 22 :10, 11& 12). Israel was special, so God made some very stringent rules to help reveal and emphasize their blessed position in His plan.

Now, judging and rejecting the OT in its entirety based upon your disdain for a few of the more puzzling minor rules (like the one against wearing cotton and wool at the same time) is not intellectually honest. Does anyone sincerely imagine that the rule requiring a certain kind of seam at the edges of everyone's clothing in those days carried the same weight and significance as the rule against murder? Even today we know the difference between the seriousness of a law against jaywalking and a law against driving while intoxicated.  Assume that common sense is not too rare.

Some of the rules Moses pronounced were more universal and practical. Be courteous; be kind; be generous; be nice; be safe; be considerate - that kind of thing. He made rules establishing lost and found policies (Deuteronomy 22:1-3), promoting neighborliness (Deuteronomy 22:4), conserving wildlife (Deuteronomy 22:6) and even one setting up a building code to advance safety (Deuteronomy 22 :8).

The sexual purity and physical morality of the nation was a matter of a much more serious nature (Deuteronomy 22:13-29). More space in this chapter is devoted to these matters. And, more serious consequences were determined against violators of these rules.

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