Thru the Bible - #172-Deuteronomy 21 - Expiation of a Crime

Transcript

Welcome And Settle In

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Welcome to Bereen's Corner, the podcast where we go through books of the Bible chapter by chapter and verse by verse. Wherever you are in the world, thank you for joining. Grab a glass of water, a cup of coffee, or tea, and let's get into today's lesson. Alright, welcome back, and as always, thank you for joining

Reading Deuteronomy 21

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me. Open your Bible to Deuteronomy chapter 21. The title of today's lesson is Expiation of a Crime. Deuteronomy 21, and let's read.

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Deuteronomy 21. If a man is found slain lying in a field in the land the Lord your God has given you to possess, and it is not known who killed him, your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance from the body to the neighboring towns. Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked, and has never worn a yoke, and lead her down to a valley that has not been ploughed or planted, and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer's neck. The priests, the sons of Levi, shall step forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister and pronounce blessings in the name of the Lord, and to decide all cases of dispute and assault. Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, and they shall declare, Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. Accept this atonement for your people, Israel, whom you have redeemed, O Lord. And do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent man, and the bloodshed will be atoned for. So you will purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the Lord. When you go to war against your enemies, and the Lord your God delivers them into your hands, and you take captives. If you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife, bring her into your home, and have her shave her head, trim her nails, and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month, then you may go to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. If you are not pleased with her, let her go wherever she wishes. You must not sell her or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her. If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear him sons, but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love. When he wields his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love. He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father's strength. The rights of the firstborn belongs to him. If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son, who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard. And all the men of his town shall stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid. If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death, and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Why Scripture Speaks To Everyday Life

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Honoring God and the real issues of life. One of the amazing things about Scripture is that it doesn't just speak to the big spiritual moments of life, it speaks to everyday life. See, sometimes people think the Bible only addresses salvation, heaven, church, or even worship. But when you read God's word carefully, you discover that He gives direction for justice, marriage, parenting, leadership, family relationships, and even how society should respond to crime. God is interested in every area of our lives. Psalms 119 in verse 105 says, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. You all hear me say that quite often. That means God's word gives direction for every step we take. Unfortunately, many people look everywhere except the Bible when life becomes complicated. They search psychology, they search social media, they look for a popular opinion and culture before ever asking. What does God say? Moses wanted Israel to understand something before they entered the promised land. The key truth of this chapter is any nation or individual who desires the blessings of God must seek to apply God's word to every area of life. God's blessing doesn't come from simply knowing his word, it comes from obeying his word. We see that in James chapter 1, verses 23 22 through 25. In this chapter, Moses addresses five real life situations Israel would eventually face.

Unsolved Murder And Community Atonement

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The first is how to respond when an unsolved murder is discovered. We see this in verses 1 through 9. If a slain person is found living in the open country in the land, excuse me, if a slain person is found lying in the open country in the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess, and it is not known who has struck him, then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which which are around the slain one. And it shall be that the city which is nearest to the slain man, that is, the elders of that city, shall take a heifer of the herd which has not been worked, and which has not pulled in a yoke, and the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which has not been ploughed or sown, and shall break the heifer's neck therein the valley. Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near for the Lord your God, has chosen them to serve him, and bless in the in the name of the Lord every dispute and every assault shall be settled by them. And all the elders of that city which is nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, and they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it. Forgive thy people, Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, O Lord, and do not place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of thy people, Israel, and the blood guiltiness shall be forgiven them. So you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst when you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. God places tremendous value on human life because every person is created in the image of God. We see that in Genesis chapter 1, verses 26 through 27. Innocent blood does matter, and it matters to the Lord. Throughout Scripture, God condemns the shedding of innocent blood. We see that in Proverbs chapter 6, verses 16 to 17. Moses now addresses a situation where someone is found murdered, but no one knows who committed the crime. There are no eyewitnesses, there is no suspect. What should God's people do? God gives seven instructions. The first is notify the proper authorities. Verse 2 says, Then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the slain. The elders and judges were immediately brought into the situation. Justice should never be ignored. God expects those in authority to investigate wrongdoing. Romans chapter 13, verses 1 through 4 reminds us that governing authorities exist to uphold justice. Number two, begin the investigation with the closest community. It says at the end of verse 2, they will measure the distance to the cities which are around the slain one, and it shall be that the city which is nearest to the slain man, that is, the elders of that city, the nearest city, became responsible for beginning the investigation. The principle is simple. Don't ignore the problem, address it immediately. Truth deserves diligent investigation. Number three, the elders were to perform a public ceremony. We see this in the end of verse 3. The elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd which has not been worked and which has not pulled in a yoke, and the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to the valley with running water. The elders selected a young heifer that had never been used for labor. It was taken to an uncultivated valley with running water where its neck was broken. Now, this wasn't a typical sacrifice offered on the altar. Rather, it publicly acknowledged that innocent blood had been shed in God's land and demonstrated the community's desire for God's justice and cleansing. God wanted his people to recognize the seriousness of unsolved sin. And that was the reason for that ceremony, which brings us to number four. The priests were to participate. Verse 5 says, Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the Lord your God has chosen them to serve him, to bless them in the name of the Lord. The spiritual leaders were involved because justice is not merely a civil matter, it is ultimately a spiritual matter. The priests prayed, blessed the people, and assisted in maintaining righteousness within the nation. Justice and worship belong together because God is both holy and he is just. Which brings us to number five. The elders were to wash their hands. Verse 6 says, All the elders of that city which is nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer, whose neck was broken in the valley. This symbolized that they were innocent of the murder and had no knowledge of who committed it. It demonstrated integrity before both God and the people. God also values truth. The seventh guideline is Ask God to remove the guilt from the land. We saw that in verses 8 through 9. Forgive thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, O Lord, and do not place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of thy people Israel, and the blood guiltiness shall be forgiven them. So you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst when you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. The elders prayed that God would not allow innocent blood to remain upon the nation. When God's people follow his instructions, he removes guilt and restores blessing. Sin ignored brings judgment. Sin dealt with brings God's and you do it God's way, it brings restoration.

Protecting A Captive Woman’s Dignity

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Which brings us to the second situation: how to treat a captive woman you desire to marry. We see this in verses 10 through 14. And this is concerning domestic relations. When you go out to battle against your enemies, and the Lord your God delivers them into your hands, and you take them away captive, and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and have a desire for her, and will take her as a wife for yourself, then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails. She shall also remove the clothes of her captivity, and shall remain in your house, and mourn her father and mother a full month, and after that you may go into her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. And it shall be, if you are not pleased with her, then you shall let her go wherever she wishes, but you shall certainly not sell her for money, you shall not mistreat her because you have humbled her. After Israel defeated enemy nations outside of Canaan, there would be occasions when an Israelite man desired to marry one of the captive women. God did not allow these women to be abused, exploited, or treated as property. Instead, he established a process that protected their dignity and honored marriage. Seven principles governed this situation. The first is bring her into your home. Verse 12 says, Then you shall bring her home to your house. She was not to be forbidden, excuse me, she was not to be hidden or mistreated. Marriage began openly and honorably. So, in other words, this wasn't something you were supposed to do in the in the dark. This is something you did in the light. Number two, she was to shave her head. In verse 12, it says, She shall shave her head. This symbolized leaving behind her former life and beginning a new one. Scripture often pictures God's transforming work as putting away the old life. We see that in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17. The next guideline is she was to trim her nails. Verse 12 also says, and trim her nails. This also represented preparation for a completely new beginning. Number four, she was to remove her captive clothing. Verse 13 says, She shall also remove the clothes of her captivity. The old garments represented her former identity. She was beginning a new life, much like believers are instructed to put off the old self and put on a new self, which we see in Ephesians chapter 4, verses 22 through 24. The fifth guideline, she was allowed one month to grieve. Verse 13 says, That uh she shall remain in your house and mourn her father and mother a full month. God acknowledged her loss. She had left family and homeland. The Lord allowed time for mourning before beginning married life. See, God is compassionate even while establishing order. So that's why she was allowed that whole month to mourn and to grieve. Which brings us to the sixth guideline. The marriage was then consummated. Verse 13 says, After that, that means after she had mourned, then you shall go into her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. Only after this process was completed would the marriage be fully established. The woman was to be treated as a wife, not as an object. The Lord makes that very clear here. Number seven, if the marriage did not continue, she was to be released with dignity. Verse 14 says, It shall be, if you are not pleased with her, then she shall, excuse me, then you shall let her go wherever she wishes, but you shall certainly not sell her for money, you shall not mistreat her because you have humbled her. She cannot be sold, she could not be mistreated, she was free to leave. God never condones abusing another human being. Never. There's never a place in scripture where you're going to read that. Even difficult situations must be handled with justice and compassion. And this would definitely be in one of those situations, which brings us to the third situation.

Firstborn Rights Over Family Favoritism

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How to treat a firstborn son in a divided family. We see this in verses 15 through 17. If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him sons. If the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, then it shall be in the day he wills what he has to his son. He cannot make the son of the loved the firstborn before the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn. But he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength. To him belongs the right of the firstborn. Family favoritism has existed throughout history, but God will not allow favoritism to overturn justice. If a man had two wives and favored one over the other, he could not deny the rights of the firstborn simply because he preferred the other wife. That's not how that was supposed to work. See, God's standards are not determined by our emotions. Justice must remain impartial. It tells us this in Proverbs chapter 24 and verse 23 to show partiality in judgment is not good. And you know, this right here reminds me of what happened with Abraham. You remember when uh Sarah, when when uh when Sarah got tired of waiting, and Abraham went into Hagar, and then he had Ishmael, and Ishmael was the firstborn, and then Isaac came, and then uh and then Sarah didn't like the fact that basically his firstborn would be the son that should get the inheritance, even though Jacob was the son of promise. You remember how that whole thing went, and then uh then Sarah started mistreating Hagar, you know, and and uh because she didn't want him to have the she didn't want him to be this the firstborn son, which he was, she didn't want him to be the son of inheritance. That's what the Lord is establishing here. The Lord is establishing that a situation like that does not happen again. We move on to situation number

Dealing With A Persistently Rebellious Son

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four. How to deal with a persistently rebellious son. We see this in verses 18 through 21. If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, then his father and mother shall seize him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. And they shall say to the elders of his city, This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard. Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death, so he so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear of it and fear. This is one of the strongest passages in the law concerning rebellion. Notice that this is not describing a young child who occasionally disobeys. This is describing an older son who continually refuses correction, rejects parental authority, and lives a lifestyle marked by rebellion, drunkenness, and gluttony. God gives three steps. The first, bring the son before the elders. Look back at verse 19. His father and mother shall seize him and bring him out to the elders. The parents did not take matters into their own hands, they brought the matter before the proper authorities. That's what the Lord is establishing here. Number two, present the evidence. Verse 20 says, They shall say to the elders of his city, This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard. The parents testified that every reasonable effort had been made to correct him, yet he continually rejected discipline. Number three, the community was to carry out God's judgment. Look at verse 21. Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death, so you shall remove the evil from your midst. Under Israel's covenant law, persistent rebellion against parental authority and God's authority carry severe consequences. Two purposes are given. The first is evil will be removed from among God's people. So, in other words, the evil that he had would not carry on to others. He's gone and is now removed. Number two, others would hear and develop a healthy fear of God. Discipline restrains sin, godly justice protects society, and that was for the younger people coming up. They would see that and hear about that and say, Man, did you hear about what happened to insert whatever name you want? Yeah, I'm not gonna go down that road. In our times, people, this is what we call a cautionary tale. You hear about something, or you may even see it with your own eyes, and you say, You know what? I'm not gonna go down that road because I saw what happened to him. My parents came back. My father was one of the people who actually helped stone that guy to death. I'm not putting myself in those shoes. And so, in other words, I'm going to turn. And go the other way. The fifth situation.

Capital Punishment And Burial With Dignity

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How to treat someone executed for a capital crime. Verses 22 through 23. If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death and you hang him on a tree, his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day. For he who is hanged is a curse of God, so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance. If someone committed a crime deserving the death penalty, the execution itself fulfilled justice. But even then, dignity was to remain. The body was not to remain hanging overnight, it was to be buried the same day. Why? Because anyone hanging on a tree was considered under God to be a curse. This command reaches far beyond Deuteronomy. The Apostle Paul quotes this very passage in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. Now, that is an incredible picture. Jesus committed no sin, yet he willingly took our curse upon himself. The one who deserved blessing accepted our judgment so that we might receive his righteousness. Isn't that something? The Lord who was righteous took on the unrighteous, which was us. And that reminds us, and we should be reminded of that every single day, the price that he paid for us, for you and I to wake up every day, to have a new day, to go forward, to make things right with the Lord.

Christ Becomes The Curse For Us

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Our conclusion. Deuteronomy 21 reminds us that God's word is practical. God speaks to justice. God speaks to marriage. God speaks to leadership and even criminal law. Nothing in life falls outside his authority. Nothing. Whether Israel was dealing with unsolved crimes, difficult family situations, rebellious children, or matters of justice, God's answer was always the same. Obey my word. God's blessings follow those who take his word seriously and speak, excuse me, and seek to apply it faithfully in every area of life. We see that in Joshua chapter 1 and verse 8. We also see that in James chapter 1, verse 25. And this chapter ultimately points us to Jesus Christ. If you haven't caught that, it points us to Christ. He is the one who bore the curse that we deserve. We see that in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 13. He fulfilled the law perfectly. We see that in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 17 and made it possible for us to experience the blessing of God through faith in him. When we build our lives on God's word, we discover that his truth is sufficient, not just for church on Sunday, but for every situation we face throughout the week. Every day of the week, we are supposed to take these lessons and live these lessons, not just on that one day of the week.

Final Takeaways Prayer And How To Connect

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Alright, that brings us to the end of Deuteronomy chapter 21. Listen, there was a lot in that chapter, and I hope that you got a lot out of that chapter. I know I sure did, as I broke this chapter down and studied it. It's amazing when you study the word of God, the things that pop out to you. Now, I have a habit of reading through the Bible every year. Uh I start on December 26th and I always end on Christmas Day every single year. Chronologically, the way that I'm giving the Bible to you is how I read through the Bible. But it's amazing when you study and you go through the chapters and chapters and you break it down and you divide it, the things that are in there. See, I never it always kind of slipped my mind how much was in Deuteronomy 21, how the Lord covers every area of our life and of life. So, like you, I have also got something out of this. As always, I appreciate you all a great deal, and I ask you to continue to pray for me. Pray that the Lord is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Pray that I stay on the straight and narrow path. Pray that I stay steadfast in the scriptures and in good health mentally and physically. And I'm praying for you as well. It uh means a lot to me that you take time out of your morning, your afternoon, and your evening to go through the word of God with me, to listen uh to me go through the word of God, to go through the scriptures with me. And I want you to remember when I give scripture references, sometimes to kind of keep down on time, I don't always turn to the scriptures, but I'm giving them to you so you can go and read them for yourself. I'm praying for you that you are doing well physically, mentally, spiritually. I pray that you are on a straight, narrow path and we continue this journey together. That brings us to the end of Deuteronomy chapter one. May the Lord add his blessing to the reading of his word we just went through. That is all for now. God bless. Thank you for listening to Berean's Corner. We appreciate you joining us as we dive into God's word and seek biblical truth together. If this episode encouraged or challenged you, be sure to subscribe, share, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. You can find Berean's Corner on BuzzSprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Amazon Music, and more. Let's stay connected. If you have questions, comments, or prayer requests, reach out to us at BereansCorner.buzzsprout.com where you can follow along with show transcripts and leave a message in the fan mail slot. Also follow us on YouTube at Berean's Corner and don't forget to subscribe. We'd love to hear from you. Until next time, keep searching the scriptures like a Berean. Stay discerning, stay faithful, and God bless you.