SCRIPTURE: Deuteronomy 22
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
If a man takes a wife and, after lying with her, dislikes her and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, ‘I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity,’ then the girl’s father and mother shall bring proof that she was a virgin to the town elders at the gate. [Deuteronomy 22:13-15] This is getting harder and harder. How do I find Jesus in this chapter? Returning lost items, cross-dressing, mixing seeds or fabrics or work animals, accusing one’s spouse of adultery, rape or consensual sex? I guess all of these issues were very real, and had implications for daily living for the Israelites. But can I find Jesus in this?
I guess one thought is that Jesus is not just saving our souls, He also brings wisdom for living, for the practical details of life. Having said that, Jesus did not set Himself up like Moses as the articulator of specific laws for the church. He addressed the heart issues, and assumed that we would have the Spirit to help us work out the details. The application of the Law of love is what we are to work out with the Spirit’s help, and it will vary in specifics by culture and context.
When someone wanted to turn Jesus into a town elder (i.e. someone to decide our specific practical issues for us), He refused. Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ Jesus replied, ‘Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’ [Luke 12:13-15] It’s not that Jesus was unconcerned about justice or unsympathetic. But He did not dwell on the specifics, He directed the questioners attention to the heart – the underlying motivation.
Some of the issues that Moses addresses are more relevant or serious than others. Building a fence around your balcony is one thing, raping a girl or falsely accusing your spouse is another. Although we need laws and courts to address these things, Jesus rightly notes that the real issue is the status of our heart. That is where all this other specific stuff flows from. This is the real issue, the real need. This is why more than anything else we need Jesus – to be born again.
PRAYER:
Lord, change my heart, not just my behaviours. With my new heart, and Your Spirit, then I can start acting and reacting as I ought to.
These are very hard principles to live up to. Not because if you obey them they are bad (they actually create a safe and protective community) but if you disobey them they bring very strict and hard justice.
The repeating theme is “purge the evil from among you”
At least from this theme I can find relevance. I do need to be aware of the aspects of my character that are not Christ-like. These things I do need to take radical action on to rid evil from creeping in and becoming a corrupt habit that eats away inside.
The standards are high – actually too high for us to attain on our own. But for the grace of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Christ intercedes for us daily!
How then shall I live? What are the implications of my daily affairs in living for Jesus? God also needs to be present in the small stuff of my life. How is the love of God interwoven into my daily fabric of life? How does His Word ‘colour’ my daily living in His presence? Do this and live – that’s what the Master said. How’s my doing going today?
Am I hospitable to all? Am I willing to give? In my coming and going of this day, how does my relationship with God determine what I do and say? If I ask Where did I see Jesus today, I also must ask How have I made deliberate attempts to be His hands of service. I need to work the Christian life in everything. I need to be GodStrong to LiveStrong.
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold:
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Ever, only, all for Thee.