Chapter 24
Verse 5 - I know several missions organizations that require a year sabbatical after marriage. Wise advice.
Did you ever take a babysitting job (or lawn-mowing job) where you were looking forward to that money for days before. You planned how you were going to spend it, how you were going to divide it between savings, tithing, spending...and then at the end of the night, the parents of the kids took you home, and forgot to pay you!? And you had to decide whether you were going to mention it, or wait for them to realize, or just give them the freebie and vow not to ever work for them again...Let's take verse 15 seriously and not put anyone in our own lives through this agony.
Verses 18-22: This section begins and ends with the same words, "Remember you were a slave." God requires extra care for the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner. These are people that could work their hardest, and still not make ends meet in their lives. Sometimes we forget these people exist even in our churches. Why do you think it is so important to God that we help those who can't help themselves?
I think that's exactly what He did for us. We were slaves to sin, and there was nothing we could do about it. I heard one preacher say that the road to heaven is like a report card. You were born with an "F". You could work and work your whole life, be a good person, go to church, raise money for the needy, and you can bring that grade all the way up to an "F+." But an F+ is still a failure. You cannot pass into Heaven with anything lower than an A+. The only way to bring up the grade is with a substitution.
God is saying to His people in this section, remember what I did for you when you were helpless and undeserving? The least that you can do is help others in that situation.
Chapter 25
Verses 5-10 This is the idea of the "kinsmen redeemer" we'll see more of in the book of Ruth.
Okay, lets take a minute and look at verses 11-12. What!? This woman was only trying to help. Her intention was to save her husband from bodily harm. Why would she be the one punished here?
This is what I'm taking from this. I know that as wives, mothers, and American women, we like to be in control. We know the best way to organize a closet, balance a checkbook, and resolve a conflict. But this verse points out that in certain situations, we need to just BUTT OUT. Don't let your need for control (or to rescue) cause you to sin.
Chapter 26
This ceremony of tithe and offering is really beautiful. When we give, we should remind ourselves of where we were (v. 6), how far the Lord has brought us (v. 8), and what He has given us (v.9). This should make it easy, and even exciting, to give to the Lord with all your heart and soul (v.16).
Next time: Deuteronomy 27-28 Chapter 28 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, but maybe not for obvious reasons. See you tomorrow!
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