Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy Chapter 23

• Deuteronomy 23:1 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. 

This shows us the holiness of God and His purity and perfectness. It shows us how serious impurity is and how desperate we are to find a way to be cleansed from all sin and impurity in order to inherit eternal life. This is impossible. We can't do it no matter what religion we join or how many good deeds we do. We cannot inherit eternal life by our own efforts. Even someone wounded through no fault of his own could not even enter the congregation of the Lord. One born out of wedlock would surely not be guilty of anything for it was not his or her fault but still was not able to enter the congregation of the Lord. God is holy and to get to God we must be made holy. We simply can't do it in our own strength. We can't make a genetically pure race as Hitler and try to do  but the sin would still be in the heart no matter how one changes on the surface. What mankind needed then and now is power to be cleansed from all sins of the past and present so that they can enter the congregation of the Lord and inherit eternal life. How can this ever be????? 

That dear readers is the big question answered when God sent His own Son to take our sins upon Himself and die for sins that we committed even though He did not deserve to die because He Himself did not sin. 

Now through the blood of Christ, the bastard is no bastard, the drunkard is no drunkard, the adulteress can be made pure so that she is no longer an adulteress. Glory to God in the highest that the impure can now be made pure not by anything we have done in the flesh but by what God did on our behalf. He did it all. 

Our part is to believe in Him (Jesus). To believe means to partake of, embrace, accept, and repent of sin and yield ourselves to the salvation that God has provided. No man could do this for us. It had to be God, yet it had to be man. Man brought sin into the world and only a perfect sinless man could reverse the curse of sin. It had to be God that became a man. Jesus, the Son of God did just that. The only way to inherit eternal life and escape the wrath of God and judgment for our sins is to come through Christ Jesus. There is no other way and no religion that can save our souls from eternal death in hell. It has to be through Jesus.

This salvation does not come by joining the Catholic Church, the Amish church, The Church of God, the Assembly of God or the Baptist. This salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. By receiving Him, we receive forgiveness of sin, the indwelling Holy Spirit and eternal life. 

This salvation is available for every single man, woman, child, bond, free, rich, poor that will simply believe in Him for their salvation. 

• Deuteronomy 23:3 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 prosperity all thy days for ever. 

See how serious a sin it was to the Moabite and Ammonite to bring any harm to Israel. That promise to Abraham, "I will bless those that bless thee and curse those that curse thee," is still in effect. This goes for natural Israel and those that come to Christ by faith who become adopted Israel. 

This does not mean that Israel will inherit eternal life without receiving Jesus Christ. As individuals they must receive Christ to be saved, as a nation though the promise to Abraham still is in effect. Woe to any nation that harms Israel. God does not promise things lightly. 

I will add here that if any of the Moabites or Ammonites existed today, the blood of Christ is sufficient to cover their sins as well. They can inherit eternal life the same as any other person on the face of the earth. Faith in Christ cancels out how we are born, our lineage, our past sins, whether we are poor, slaves, rich, filthy or the scum of the earth. 

• Deuteronomy 23:7 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. 

Through Christ, we must not abhor anyone but seek to spread the gospel to all nations that they might be saved. 

• Deuteronomy 23:8 The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation. 

Seems as if some sins were greater than others for only to the third generation could they enter the congregation of the Lord. The other ones had to wait ten generations. See how great the love of God is to have sent Jesus so all of us could enter the congregation of the Lord through faith in Him. I don't want to minimize the importance of repentance. When one truly comes to faith in Jesus Christ they should be bringing forth the fruit of genuine repentance. Repentance means to change, turn around and go the right way which is God's way. Our own way brings destruction. We must turn and walk the right path and that is by following Christ. All His teachings have been provided for us to read in written form in the New Testament. 

• Deuteronomy 23:9 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: 

In doing this he recognizes how holy God is and how He needs to wait until he is cleansed before entering in the congregation. To boldly march in without being cleansed is kind of symbolic to how we can't get to God now without being made clean by the blood of Christ being applied to our heart or soul. No one will inherit eternal life without coming through Christ. 

• Deuteronomy 23:11 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 unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee. 

Being clean and taking care of the land will prevent disease also. That is why some things were unclean to eat and some things were clean. God cared for their physical health as well as their spiritual salvation.

To enter heaven where God dwells we must be holy also. That it has not changed but the way to be holy has changed. It is a better covenant and a better way. Passages in Hebrews explain this:

• Hebrews 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 
• 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 
• 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 
• 9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 
• 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 
• 11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 
• 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 
• 13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. 

Through being covered by the righteousness of Christ, we are made holy as God is holy. 

• Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 
• 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 
• 16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 
• 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. 
• 18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 
• 19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 
• 20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 
• 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 
  22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 
• 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 
• 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 
• 25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 

Jesus brings in a better covenant, an eternal purpose and a better way than ever before. He gave us power through the Holy Spirit to overcome sin and live in obedience and love all the days of our life.

• Deuteronomy 23:15 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. 

Praise the Lord, this shows us that God has not ordained and approved of slavery. They were not allowed to return runaway slaves to their masters. The perfect way is that men and women are never to be someone's property just because they were born into poverty. 

• Deuteronomy 23:17 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. 

Although these sins can be cleansed and forgiven in the New covenant of grace and faith in Christ, sexual sin is very serious. It brings death, disease, shorter lives, and pollutes whole nations. This is one sin that is ignored in today's world. We need to preach and teach that these things are sins that need to be stopped. God has the power to do just that if we come His way. We can be made free from all sin. We do not have to give into this stuff. It is killing us and is just as deadly as cigarette smoking, even more so because it harms the soul. 

I'm not being anti anyone here. I'm saying this in love. Whether it is the sin of prostitution, adultery, fornication or any unnatural sexual act that is outside of the divine order of God, it will steal, kill and destroy both soul and body. It will harm. If I keep quiet about something I know to be a fact, I'm showing more hate than if I warn people. 

I would say to anyone who wants to live for God, don't just live together without the commitment of marriage. It is showing disrespect to yourself and to God. He created us to be pure and holy. To give oneself to just anyone without a lifetime commitment is to cheapen oneself. Every single individual is worth more than that. Jesus wants to make us pure and holy. We don't have to be used as a plaything and allow people to disrespect us in that manner. 

• Deuteronomy 23:18 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. 

Even money that is gotten by sexual sin is not to be brought into the house of God. 

• Deuteronomy 23:19 Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury: 

If we run a business that extracts interest, they were not to charge interest to their fellow Israelites. In the long run it will be more profitable to obey the Lord in all these things. God's laws were given for the good of all who obey them. He is not out to ruin our lives as some think. Whether or not we apply this to the church or the believers in Christ today, is by choice since that law was mainly for Israel but it might be a good idea if it is possible. 

• Deuteronomy 23:20 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. 

Israel was allowed to charge interest to other nations who were not part of Israel. If this law was still in effect through the gospel of grace, it would mean we couldn't charge interest to any fellow brother or sister in Christ no matter what nation they lived in. 

• Deuteronomy 23:21 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. 

My dad always taught me not to make promises and vows. Instead he would instruct me to say, "If the Lord wills, I will do such and such.". That means if nothing unforeseen prevents me, I will do what is in my heart to do.  

• Deuteronomy 23:24 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. 

In other words, we should not steal from someone else's garden without permission by taking a container of some kind and picking what we want. Notice though that everything belongs to God originally and if we are hungry, we can take one or two to sustain us but not to fill up a container to take with us. This shows compassion for those that are hungry. If we look close enough when reading the bible, we will see the heart of God. He is a God of love even though judgment is swift to the disobedient. Judgment shows love also to the weak and innocent that are often harmed by those that ignore God's laws. 

Take the sexual sin mentioned in some of the passages above. If God did not make laws against this type of sin who gets hurt? The innocent children. Sexual sin causes the mind to be polluted. Pornography pollutes the mind. At first it starts out with consenting adults but sooner or later, the mind becomes so warped that innocent children and women are raped, and harmed. It is no longer just consenting adults but innocent people who are exploited and harmed. Why is this? Innocent children do not yet have the diseases caused by the sin in the first place. They will eventually harm innocent children and this is the biggest reason to turn away from this stuff before it gets worse. 

It is similar to a bunch of young teens taking up smoking. They do not realize the harm that it will bring to their health. They like that thrill of smoking. This is the similar to what sexual sin does but it is far worse. It destroys the body and the soul. 

• 1Corinthians 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 
• 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 
• 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 
• 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 

Paul writes to us to flee fornication (any sexual sin). It will destroy us. Through Christ we can find a better way. A way of peace. A way of holiness. A new way of life. -DC

Deuteronomy 24