Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy Chapter 17

• Deuteronomy 17:1 Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God. 

This should be easy to figure out. To be a sacrifice for sins, one had to be sinless, without spot or wrinkle. Animal sacrifices were a type or a preview of the perfect sacrifice to come. One cannot die for another's sin if they have sin themselves. Jesus was the only adult sinless male who lived and kept the law of God in all points without sin. Animal sacrifices pointed up to the perfect sacrifice to come so they had to be without spot or blemish. 

• Deuteronomy 17:2 If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant, 
• 3 And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; 
• 4 And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel:

In order for someone to be free from sin, they have to first acknowledge that they have sinned and they have to know what sin is. The Old Testament shows us the severity of God's law and the seriousness of sin. It defiles, it kills and it destroys the soul. The soul that sins is to die. That is why someone (Jesus Christ) had to come, live as a man and not sin to be eligible to die on our behalf. To believe and receive this is to inherit eternal life. Forsaking sin and repentance is to accompany faith in Jesus Christ. 

• Deuteronomy 17:5 Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die. 

This seems severe but it shows the seriousness of sin and that it has to be paid for. It eventually has to be judged and stopped. Idolatry is an insult and affront to God our creator. To knowingly worship an idol is one of the worst sins we could do because demons accompany idol worship to give us false religious feelings so that we do not seek the real God.

Its like hunting for diamonds and almost arriving at the right place only to first stumble across fake diamonds. We take the fake and do not go on to seek the real. 

The heathens worshipped idols in ignorance because their parents worshipped them. Some time in the past though, someone who knew better started the process. Israel though knew better than to turn away from God who delivered them out of Egypt and turned to idols. There was no excuse for them. 

• Deuteronomy 17:6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. 

The Old Testament upholds the death penalty. This was given to keep sin in check until the time of grace was given. It also shows us that sin is serious. It has to be stopped and a sacrifice for sins had to be made to pay the penalty for sin on the behalf of those who want to be delivered from sin and turn away from it. 

We see here also the fairness of condemning sin. One could not be put to death except by two or three eye witnesses. It couldn't be just one witness. 

We can look back and see clearly the difference between law and grace. Now we can be delivered from the death penalty for sin if we exercise our faith in Christ and allow His death for sin to count for us. The just suffered for the unjust. This is only for eternal life though, not for death in the flesh or our natural deaths. If we commit a crime worthy of death, the law of the land in which we reside may require death but if we truly repent and turn to Christ (the only true sacrifice for sin) we can still have eternal life. 

The congregation of the Lord, some call it the church, though is not to put anyone to death, use torture to take over governments enforcing of the laws of the land. They are to judge spiritual things only. We are to spread the gospel, not enforce civil government. This has to be because to mix church and state before the second coming of Christ has never worked and will never work. There are too many religions, creeds, and differences all over the world and it wouldn't be fair to have one exercise control and use force upon the others.

True Christianity must never be forced. If we try to use force we will not have true Christianity, we will only have a another religion that we call Christian. It is false and fake. True religion or true Christianity must come with the conversion of the soul. It is within. It changes the heart and soul of the inner person. We call this being "born again" by the Holy Spirit of God. Our sins are cleansed or washed away and we become new creatures in Christ. To to it any other way than this will only produce false Christianity or just another religion. Until Christ returns in person, that is the way it must be. 

Many have tried and failed by not heeding to the true call of Christ in spreading the gospel not another religion. Read church history during the middle ages and we can see this clearly. It does not work. 

In the case of Israel, they were under God's direct orders. God used Moses to enforce the law of the land as well as the spiritual. This was before the coming of Christ and the day of grace. It had to be that way for a while to keep law and order and to keep sin from destroying them until the day of Christ's sacrifice. Today however, we must wait for the second literal coming of Christ to enforce spiritual laws. We cannot use force to make converts but we can use force in enforcing the law of the land as long as that law does not overrule God's law. It is still wrong to kill, steal and harm the innocent. 

• Deuteronomy 17:7 The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you. 

If the witnesses had to be the first ones to kill, they most likely would think twice before falsely accusing anyone so this may be why they were to be the first to lay hands on the guilty person. 

• Deuteronomy 17:8 If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose; 
• 9 And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment:
• 10 And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee: 
• 11 According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left. 
• 12 And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel. 
• 13 And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously. 

This may seem strict but without laws, we can't live in peace, the innocent get hurt and men will end up destroying each other. In matter of conscience, (religious matters) we must allow freedom and not combine religion and state government but civil laws must be in place or there cannot be law and order. 

Israel was a Theocracy during the time of Moses showing us the higher law of God. Their judges and priests had to be obeyed as long as those in authority did not become corrupt and evil. They served under God. Once they departed from the law of God, they did not have to be obeyed. 

• Deuteronomy 17:14 When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; 
• 15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. 

Allowing God to choose the king was the only way to insure peace. Evil kings have ruled since the beginning. They would put to death and imprison at a whim. They would use people and have servants. Freedom of choice was non existent. Israel should never have desired a king but only judges like they had at the beginning.

• Deuteronomy 17:16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 

Multiplying horses would show their dependence upon wealth and mighty armies rather than the Lord. They were never to return to Egypt for help for their help was in the Lord. 

Going back to Egypt is a symbol of returning to the world after knowing the goodness and deliverance of the Lord. For a Christian, going back to Egypt or Babylon represents a return to the sins that Christ died to save us from. 

• Deuteronomy 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. 

As we see later by reading about Solomon, his wives turned his heart after from God to idols. His riches did the same. In the beginning God meant, one man and one woman to mate. Men with men, women with women and multiple partners was never the plan of God. It brings confusion, jealousy and hardship upon the weaker ones or upon the ones not favored. Read the story of Jacob and his wives to see the result of having more than one. 

God always knows what is good and right. He wants people to live in peace while we await his coming. We will suffer tribulation from the world around us but He doesn't want us to harm one another but live in love, joy and peace. 

• Deuteronomy 17:18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: 
• 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 

If one has to have a king, a king that fears God and loves those he rules is best and really the only type of kingdom that works. We live in a day when kings are dying out. We now have more Democratic governments which is good unless we do not govern ourselves. If we allow sin to abound without repentance, Democracy will not work very long. Democracy is by far the best type of government but will only work along side of individual fear of God. Without the fear of the Lord Democracy will allow evil as well as good. We have freedom to do evil as well and choose what is good. That is the only drawback to a Democratic government. The fear of God is necessary for it to succeed. 

• Deuteronomy 17:20 That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. 

A king who gets lifted up and thinks himself above all others instead of a servant of the Lord to protect his kingdom is headed for trouble. We must not abandon our dependence upon God's direction. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We can't get along without Him at any time, in the present or in the future. -DC

Deuteronomy 18