Thru the Bible - #176-Deuteronomy 24 Part 2 - Sundry Laws

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. And

Deuteronomy 24 Reading Begins

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today's lesson is right back into Deuteronomy chapter 24. Thank you for joining me. If you were here last time, you would remember that we looked at the first four verses of Deuteronomy 24, and I didn't bring our reader in because we were just looking at the first four verses. So I went ahead and read those verses. But today, since we are looking at the rest of the chapter, verse 5 through verse 22, I will bring our reader in so we can just get the whole chapter in his context as we always do. Deuteronomy chapter 24, and let's read.

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Or if he dies, then her first husband who divorced her is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the Lord. Do not bring sin upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he has to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married. Do not take a pair of millstones, not even the upper one, as security for a dead, because that would be taking a man's livelihood as security. If a man is caught kidnapping one of his brother Israelites and treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. You must purge the evil from among you. In cases of leprous diseases, be very careful to do exactly as the priests who are Levites instruct you. You must follow carefully what I have commanded them. Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam along the way after you came out of Egypt. When you make a loan of any kind to your neighbor, do not go into his house to get what he is offering as a pledge. Stay outside, let the man to whom you are making the loan bring the pledge out to you. If the man is poor, do not go to sleep with his pledge in your possession. Return his cloak to him by sunset so that he may sleep in it. Then he will thank you, and it will be regarded as a righteous act in the sight of the Lord your God. Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. Pay him his wages each day before sunset because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise, he may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin. Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers. Each is to die for his own sin. Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of a widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this. When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless, and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless, and the widow. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.

Why These Laws Still Matter

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Now I didn't say this at the beginning of the broadcast, but these next few chapters we are dealing with sundry laws. As I mentioned, there's lots and lots of sundry laws in the uh in all the writings of Moses. The first four verses that we dealt with in Deuteronomy 24 dealt with the with the law of divorce. Now we are going to be looking at sundry laws as we go through the rest of the chapter. Now, as we've worked our way through this book of Deuteronomy, one truth has become increasingly clear, and that is God is concerned with every area of our life. His word doesn't merely address worship on the Sabbath or what takes place at the tabernacle. It also speaks on how we treat our spouses, our neighbors, our employees, those in need, and even strangers. See, God is interested in the everyday decisions that reveal the condition of our hearts, and that's something that we need to remember and uh take note of that the Lord sees everything we do and he's interested in our everyday decisions. Now, when a heart has been shaped by God, uh, what we learn is to think about others before only thinking about ourselves, or I should say, only thinking about ourselves, and that is exactly what we see in Deuteronomy, and that's what Moses has emphasized throughout this whole chapter. Now, this chapter is filled with practical instructions that teach God's people how to live in ways that honor him while showing compassion, integrity, justice, and generosity towards others. These regulations are not random laws, they reveal the character of God and demonstrate how his people are to reflect his heart in everyday life. The central truth of this passage is this God gives his people practical instructions for everyday living so they will reflect his character, his experience, his blessing, and demonstrate his grace to those around them. In this chapter, Moses gives 10 practical regulations. Now, the last time we studied the first regulation concerning divorce and remarriage. Today we'll continue with the remaining regulations and discover these timeless principles that still speak to believers today. Last time we remembered the first regulation was concerning the uh marriage, divorce, and remarriage. We examine uh through uh verses one through four that where God established guidelines concerning divorce and remarriage. Marriage is his design, his gift, and his covenant. Yet, because people are sinners living in a fallen world, God graciously regulated situations involving broken marriages rather than leaving his people without direction. As we've learned, God's idea is always faithfulness within marriage. But even where sin has brought failure, his word provides wisdom and his grace offers hope. Which brings us to where we start today, regulation number two.

Protecting New Marriages

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Regulations concerning a newly married husband. Notice verse five. He shall be free at home one year and shall give happiness to his wife whom he has taken. See, this next regulation may surprise us. God instructed that when a man had recently married, he was not to be sent into military service or assigned public responsibility that would take him away from home. Instead, he was to remain with his wife for one full year and devote himself to building that new marriage. Remember the setting. Israel did not maintain a standing professional army. When war broke out, ordinary men from the tribes were called to serve. We saw that back in Numbers chapter one, verse three. Military duty was responsible was a responsibility every eligible man was expected to fulfill. Matter of fact, I'm gonna uh just uh don't worry about it. I'm gonna go back and look at it. Let's go back and look at Numbers chapter one. It was just a few chapters back, but I'm gonna look at it. Numbers chapter one and verse three says, From every from twenty years old and upward, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel, you and Aaron shall number them by their armies. See, God made one temporary exception: a newly married husband was excused from military service for one year. Why? Because God values the home, He understands that strong families become the foundation of a strong nation. Before a man was expected to defend Israel on the battlefield, he was expected to establish stability within his own household. Notice the purpose that Moses gives. The husband was to remain home in order to bring happiness to his wife. That is a remarkable emphasis. The Lord wanted the husband to invest time, attention, and affection into his marriage. See, marriage was never intended to become an afterthought while a man pursued his career, his passions, or his personal ambitions. Sadly, our culture often celebrates professional success while neglecting success at home. And boy, don't we see that nowadays and the days we live in. How many times do you see people? I'm just going to focus on the men right here, say that you know a man has to uh live his life, he has to play the field, and then he has to work on his career, then he has to go and get this, this, and this, and then worry about those things. In other words, he is supposed to neglect his youth and his youthful years in order to chase certain things. See, people receive rewards for business achievements, they are applauded for promotions, yet, very few receive recognition for faithfully loving one spouse for 50 years. You don't see that that often. You know, it's a beautiful thing when you see people. I know it is beautiful to me when I see uh at church, or sometimes I will read this in the newspaper, and yes, I do still read the newspaper, and you will see the anniversary of a couple that's been together for 50 years. You know, they were, you know, 18, 19, 20, 23 uh when they were married, and now they are in their, you know, in some cases late 60s or to their early 70s, and they're celebrating 50 years. That is something that should be celebrated. Yet, you know, we celebrate people being divorced, we celebrate people getting their freedom again and being back out in the world when we should be celebrating the beautiful things in life that two people can spend a half of a century together. Now, God's priorities are different from the world's priorities. A husband certainly has a responsibility to provide for his family. Now, let's not get that twisted. 1 Timothy chapter 5, verse 8 tells us that, but he also has a responsibility to nurture his marriage. And see, that is why the Lord wanted the man to stay home his first year and not go out to war. Paul later tells husbands, husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her. We see that in Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 25. That kind of love requires sacrifice, it requires intentionality, it requires time. Healthy marriages don't happen just accidentally, they are cultivated through consistent love, patience, forgiveness, and servant leadership. Proverbs chapter 5, verse 18 encourages husbands, rejoice in the wife of your youth. Remember what I said a little earlier? The wife of your youth. See, men were married younger in those days. And I'm saying in those days, but you could even go back a hundred years. You know, if you go back to 1926, maybe even 1906, if you if you want to go back 120 years, men were getting married younger. You know, we're talking 16, 17, 18, they were getting married. But as times went on and the wickedness of this world took over, they were told that's too young to get married, that's too young to uh take a wife in. Now, notice that nobody ever told the young men that it was too uh early for them to be having sex outside of marriage, that it was too early for them to be running around playing the field. It wasn't too early for that, but oh no, don't tell a young man to get married in his young years because he's got a lot of life to live. It's kind of backwards, isn't it? God wants marriage to be characterized by joy, he wants it to be characterized by companionship and mature blessing. A strong marriage becomes one of God's greatest gifts to his people.

Collateral That Destroys Livelihood

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Which brings us to the third regulation. Uh regulation concerning security loans. Verse 6 tells us, No one shall take a handmill or an upper millstone in pledge, for he would be taking a life in pledge. The next regulation shifts from the home to the marketplace. Now, while it may seem like an ordinary financial law, it reveals something profound about God's heart. Moses says, No one shall take a handmill or an upper millstone in pledge, for he would be taking a life in pledge. In the ancient world, families didn't simply go to the grocery store and buy bread. Grain had to be ground every day using a pair of millstones. The lower stone remained stationary while the upper stone was used to crush the grain into flour. That's just how they did it back then. Those two stones were essential to the family's daily survival. Without them, there was no bread. It was just that simple. Without bread, there was no way to provide for the household. God certainly allowed people to make loans, and he permitted certain items to be used as collateral. Look at Exodus chapter 22, verses 26 through 27, and Deuteronomy chapter 24, uh, verses 10 through 13. But these practical tools were never to be taken as security for a debt because doing so will remove a person's ability to earn a living and provide for his family. That's why the Lord put that in place because they use those tools every day. The principle is simple. God expects his people to exercise compassion even in business. He didn't want his people being cutthroat. Just because someone has the legal right to demand collateral doesn't mean they should ignore the needs of another person. See, financial dealing should never destroy someone's livelihood. That principle still applies today. As believers, we should conduct business with honesty, integrity, and compassion. We should never take advantage of someone simply because they are financially vulnerable. May it not be so. Likewise, borrowers have responsibilities. See, God blesses integrity. Let that be a lesson to all of us. I know that we all have been in hard times. A lot of us have been in hard times, and sometimes it's hard to repay, but the Lord doesn't call that for the believer. The Lord says, listen, if you borrow $1,000, pay that $1,000 back. Either pay it back the day you said you were going to pay it back, or if you said you were going to pay it back in $50 a month, pay it back $50 a month, but pay back what you owe. Number

Kidnapping And Human Dignity

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four, regulation concerning kidnapping. Look at verse 7. If a man is caught kidnapping any of his countrymen of the sons of Israel, and he deals with him violently or sells him, then that thief shall die. So you shall purge the evil from among you. Moses now addresses one of the most serious crimes imaginable. If a man is caught kidnapping one of his brothers and treats him violently or sells him, then that thief shall die. See, the penalty was death, plain and simple. In the context of the previous regulations, it's possible that someone attempted to recover an unpaid debt by kidnapping another person's child or family member. Others kidnap people for forced labor or to sell them into slavery. That's just what they did. Whatever the motive, God declares such actions to be completely unacceptable. Human beings are created in the image of God. We saw that back in Genesis chapter 1, verses 26 through 27. People are never to be treated as merchandise. Never. It wasn't okay back then and it's not okay today. Throughout Israel's history, there were situations where prisoners captured during war served Israel under carefully regulated conditions. We saw that back in Deuteronomy 20, verse 11, and chapter 21, verses 10 through 14. But kidnapping innocent people for personal profit or exploitation was an entirely different matter. Sadly, this command remains painfully relevant. Human trafficking continues to be one of the greatest evils in our world today. Men, women, and children are brought and sold for financial gain and exploitation. God's view has never changed, never. Remember, he was the same God yesterday, today, and forever, and his view on this never changed. Every human life possesses immeasurable value because every person bears his image. We are made in the image of God. As followers of Christ, we should oppose every form of exploitation and defend the dignity of every human being. Human beings are all made in the image of Christ. That's why we have to even remember things that we do, like how we make fun of people. And I have been guilty of that. How we will poke fun at a person's appearance or say this person looks like this, this person looks like that. We demean people. We say, you know, there are women who look like men and men who look like women. And I'm saying that we say that in a very mean, exploiting type of way. We need to be mindful of that because that person was made in the image of God, whether you like that person or not, whether that person is on your team or not, whether they stand with you or not, that person is made in the image of God. And God takes that very seriously. Let us remember

Leprosy Miriam And Humility

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that. Which brings us to the fifth regulation. Regulations concerning leprosy. Look at verses 8, 8 through 9. Be careful against an infection of leprosy that you diligently observe and do according to all the Levitical priests shall teach you as I have commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt. At first glance, these verses seem to interrupt the flow of the chapter, right? You kind of read it and say, Well, wait a minute, that seemed like that's kind of going against what we were just talking about. Why would Moses suddenly begin talking about leprosy in the middle of regulations concerning relationships and justice? The answer becomes clearer when we remember the example Moses immediately mentioned, his own sister Miriam. In Numbers 12, it records that Miriam and Aaron challenged the authority God had given Moses. Do you all remember that? Their criticism wasn't simply directed towards Moses, ultimately, it was rebellion against God's appointed leadership. As a result, the Lord struck Miriam with leprosy until she humbled herself before him. See, Moses reminds Israel of that event because he wants them to understand an important principle. God takes his appointed order seriously. That doesn't mean leaders are above correction. That is not what this is saying at all. Scripture calls leaders to be accountable. 1 Timothy 5, verses 19 through 20. But it does mean God's people should be careful about cultivating proud, rebellious spirits that reject his established authority. Pride has always been destructive. In James chapter 4 and verse 6, it reminds us God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. There is another lesson here as well. Throughout Scripture, leprosy often serves as a picture of sin. Now, in these in this context, back in the old covenant, leprosy was leprosy. But leprosy later on also resembles sin. See, just as leprosy spread throughout the body unless dealt with properly, sin spreads throughout a person's life when left unchecked. God gave detailed instructions in Leviticus 13 through 14 for diagnosing and cleansing leprosy. For those of you who went through that lesson with me, you will remember that. Likewise, God has provided his word to expose sin and point us towards cleansing through Jesus Christ. 1 John chapter 1, verse 9 assures us if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God still wants his people to deal with sin his way, not according to human opinion, but according to his revealed truth. Which brings us to the sixth regulation. Regulation

Loans That Preserve Dignity

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concerning loans. Notice verses 10 through 13. When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not enter his house to take his pledge. You shall remain outside, and the man to whom you make the loan shall bring the pledge out to you. And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. When the sun goes down, you shall surely return the pledge to him that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you, and it will be righteousness for you before the Lord your God. The next regulation continues the subject of lending and borrowing. But now Moses focuses on how a lender should treat someone who has fallen difficult times. Throughout the Mosaic Law, God gave numerous instructions regarding loans, interests, and treatment of those in financial need. We saw that back in Exodus chapter 22, verses 25 through 27, Leviticus chapter 25, verses 35 through 37, and the chapter uh previous to this, Deuteronomy chapter 23, verses 19 through 20. Born money was not forbidden, and neither was lending money. But God was deeply concerned that his people conduct uh that they would conduct these financial. Relationships with compassion and integrity. Moses says that when a leader went to collect a pledge for a loan, he was not permitted to enter the borrower's home. Instead, he was to remain outside while the borrower brought the pledge to him. That may seem like a small detail, but it teaches a powerful principle. God wanted to preserve the dignity of the borrower. Imagine a poor man standing inside his home with his wife and children while a creditor barges in, looking around the house to determine what he wants to take. Such as you know, saying such action would only embarrass the borrower, but it would also humiliate his entire family. The Lord said, Don't do that. Respect the individual. Allow him the dignity of bringing the pledge outside himself. Now that's a remarkable picture of God's compassion. Even when someone owed money, they were still to be treated with respect because they bear the image of God. See, we're talking a lot about the image of God and how we are creating his image. Are you starting to see the parallel here? God, uh Moses goes even further. If the borrower was poor and the only item he could offer as collateral was his outer garment, the lender had to return it before sunset. Why? Because that cloak served as the man's blanket during the cold nights. We see that back in Exodus chapter 22, verses 26 through 27. God refused to let financial transactions become opportunities for cruelty. Justice was always to be balanced with mercy. That same principle should characterize believers today. Business should never become an excuse to mistreat people. It never should. Collection should never destroy someone's dignity. Contract should never eliminate compassion. Yes, it's a contract, but don't let it eliminate the compassion. As followers of Jesus Christ, we shall reflect the heart of our Heavenly Father in every financial decision we make. We make. Jesus taught, treat people the same way you want them to treat you. Luke chapter 6, verse 31. That principle certainly applies to our financial dealings. And you know something? Sometimes in this world that we're in, we forget that principle. We forget to treat others how we want to be treated. We sometimes just think about the wrong that they did to us, and I'm gonna get that person back or make them pay for it. But we forget in the same way that we judge, we will be judging that same way. Regulation

Paying Wages Without Oppression

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number seven concerning wages. Verses 14 and 15 says, You shall not oppress a higher servant who is poor in needy, whether he is one of your countrymen or one of your aliens who is in your land in your towns. You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets, for he is poor and sets his heart on it, so that he may not cry against you to the Lord, and it becomes sin in you. Next, Moses addresses employers. He writes that hired workers are to be paid properly for the labor they perform. This command applied whether the worker was an Israelite or a foreigner living among them. God made no distinction. If someone worked, they deserved to receive their wages. Many laborers lived from one day's wages to the next. They didn't have retirement accounts. That's not how it worked back then. They didn't have emergency savings. Their daily income purchased that evening's meal. The lane payment could literally mean a family went hungry. God calls withholding wages as an act of injustice. So you got to remember back in these days, when a man went out to work, he got paid that day. So if you hired a man, if a man was hired, let's say, to work in a wheat field, what would happen is when the sun set, they would all line up, the owner of the wheat field would stand there and he would give every man his wage, and then that man would take off, probably sprint in some cases, and go to the nearest place to buy food for his family so his family could eat. James later echoes this same truth when he warns the pay of the laborers which has been withheld by you cries out against you. James chapter 5 and verse 4. God hears the cries of those who have been treated unfairly. The Lord hears it. Don't think the Lord doesn't hear everything. He hears that. Every employer should remember that employees are not merely workers, they are people created in God's image. Every paycheck represents a family dependent upon honest compensation. Likewise, employees should perform their work faithfully. Colossians chapter 3 and verse 23 reminds us whatever you do, do your work heartedly as for the Lord rather than for men. Remember, you're doing your work as if you're doing it for the Lord. Whether we supervise employees or work under someone else's authority, our ultimate accountability is to Christ. Remember that. Christ, uh Christian integrity should distinguish between employers and employees. The eighth regulation is a regulation concerning personal responsibility for sin. Notice

Personal Accountability For Sin

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verse 16. Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers. Everyone shall be put to death for his own sin. Now this regulation establishes one of the foundational truths of biblical justice. Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers. Everyone shall be put to death for his own sin. God reminds Israel that he is not only the God of the nation, he is also the God of every individual. Each person stands accountable before him personally. Children are not condemned because of their parents' crimes. Parents are not punished for the crimes of their children. Every individual answered to God for his her home or his or her own actions. Ezekiel later reinforces the same principle. That truth should both humble and encourage us. It humbles us because we cannot blame others for our sin. That's just not how that works. Our upbringing, our environment, our circumstances, none of these excuse personal rebellion against God. See, when we sin, it's a personal rebellion against God. See, I was taught and raised very well to the best of my family's ability. But they are not held accountable for the things I did. The things I did when I decided that I was gonna go my own way. See, I have to hold that burden, I have to bear that. As I just said, none of those excuse personal rebellion because who am I really rebellion against? I'm really rebellion against God, and you have to be accountable for yourself. Each of us must give an account of ourselves before the Lord. We see that in Romans chapter 14 and verse 12. But this truth also encourages us. We are not forever condemned because of another person's failures. Through faith in Jesus Christ, every individual may receive forgiveness, new life, and a new beginning. The gospel is intensely personal. Christ died for sinners, one heart at a time. Each person must personally repent and believe the gospel. Acts chapter 16 and verse 31. Every believer stands before God clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone. God's laws are never, they're never arbitrary people. Behind every regulation stands the loving character of our Heavenly Father. Whether he is speaking about marriage, finances, employment, or justice, his desire is always the same that his people reflect. And that his people reflect his holiness, his compassion, and his grace in the way that live that we live every day. Regulation number nine. The regulation

Justice For Widows Orphans Foreigners

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concerning justice for the vulnerable. Notice verses 17 and 18. You shall not pervert the justice due to an alien or an orphan, nor take a widow's garment in pledge, but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and that the Lord your God redeemed you from there. Therefore I am commanding you to do this thing. As Moses continues these practical instructions, he now turns our attention to those who were often overlooked in society. He writes, You shall not pervert the justice due an alien or an orphan, nor take a widow's garment and pledge. See, in ancient Israel, three groups were especially vulnerable the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. They often had little influence, few resources, and no one to depend on them. Because of that, they were easy targets for injustice and justice and exploitation. But God made it abundantly clear that his people were never to take advantage of those who were weak or defenseless. Throughout Scripture, we see God's heart for those who cannot defend themselves. Psalm 68 and verse 5 declares that God is a father of the fatherless and a judge for the widow. James chapter 1 and 27 reminds believers that true religion involves caring for orphans and widows in their distress while keeping ourselves unstained by the world. God's people are never called to show favoritism. Justice is to be administered fairly. Truth is to prevail regardless of a person's financial standing, nationality, or social position. Moses reminds Israel why this matters. They themselves had once been helpless, they had been slaves in Egypt. And let me point something out. When the Lord says that they were slaves in Egypt, he is talking about they were slaves in Northeast Africa, not another place. I just want to make that clear. Egypt is Egypt. That's where they were slaves. They knew what it felt like to be oppressed, they understood what it meant to cry out for deliverance with no human hope. Yet God, in his mercy and grace, rescued them from bondage by his mighty hand. They remember the thing is that that reminder appears repeatedly throughout Deuteronomy. We see it in Deuteronomy chapter 5, verse 15, chapter 6, verse 12, chapter 21, uh, sorry. I meant to say chapter 6, verses 12 and 21. I got sidetracked on my notes. Chapter 8, verse 14, chapter 10, verse 19, chapter 15, verse 15. God never wanted his people to forget where they came from because remembering his mercy would motivate them to extend mercy to others. See, that's why the Lord keeps bringing up. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. Why? Because he wants them to remember what that was like. That same principle applies to us. Every believer was once spiritually bankrupt. We were slaves to sin. John chapter 8, verse 34. We had no righteousness of our own. There was nothing we could do to save ourselves. But God demonstrated his love towards us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans chapter 5 and verse 8. When we remember the mercy God has shown us, it changes how we treat other people. Praise the Lord for that. Grace received should become grace extended. Mercy experience should become mercy demonstrated. As followers of Christ, we should never look down on those who are struggling. Instead, we should reflect the compassion our Savior has shown to us. And I want to uh point out something about what I just read. In when it mentioned the alien of the land, uh, I don't want anyone to take that the wrong way and say, okay, well, the alien is a foreigner, right? So was the Lord saying that when a foreigner is in your land, let me be very clear about something. When Israel was in their land, they had a wall built around their land. And to get into the land, and if you haven't seen it, we're gonna get more into this. To get into the land, you had to come through a gate, you had to come through and be admitted into the place. So when it says a person that's a stranger, it doesn't mean that they snuck in under the gate, it doesn't mean that they crawled over the wall or crawled under the wall. They came in to the watchman because there was a watchman at the gate, and that watchman vetted them and then he let them in. Now they were still a stranger to the land, but it wasn't somebody who just wandered in. I want to say that because there could be someone who could hear me say that and take it the wrong way and say, Well, isn't isn't that the grace that's supposed to be extended to all people who are foreigners in the land? And it's not talking about it in that way, it's talking about the foreigner who came through the front door. They know they're there, they're just a foreigner or a stranger.

Leaving Harvest For Those In Need

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Moving on to the tenth regulation, and this one is concerning the remaining harvest. Look at verses 19 through 21. When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow, in order that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand. When you beat your olive tree, you should not go over the balls again. It shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not go over it again. It shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. The final regulation in this chapter continues God's emphasis on generosity. When Israel harvested its fields, gathered olives from the trees, or collected grapes from the vineyard, they were not to go back a second time to collect everything that remained. Whatever was left behind was to be available for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow. Now, from a purely business perspective, that may seem you know, that may seem uh that may not seem efficient to you. Most people will want every stalk of grain, every olive, every cluster of grape, nothing wasted. But God intentionally commanded his people to leave something behind. Why? Because he wanted his blessings to overflow into the lives of others. See, this wasn't careless farming, it was intentional generosity. God had blessed his people so they could become a blessing. He wanted them to recognize that everything they possess ultimately belonged to him. Their harvest wasn't merely for themselves, it was also an opportunity to display God's compassion towards those in need. See, Paul echoes this same truth in the New Testament. 2 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 7 says, God loves a cheerful giver. See, generosity has always reflected the heart of God. Always. When we understand that every blessing comes from the Lord, James chapter 1, verse 17, we become far more willing to share what he has entrusted us. See, notice again that Moses reminds Israel of their past. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. God repeatedly brings them back to his grace. The motivation for generosity is gratitude. Just that simple. We show mercy because we receive mercy. We love because he first loved us. 1 John chapter 4, verse 19. A heart transformed by God's grace becomes a heart full of generosity. It is transformed by God's grace and becomes a generous heart. See, you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. Therefore, I am commanding you to do this thing. That's how Moses concluded the end of this chapter. And

The Law Points To A Redeemer

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our conclusion is as we step back and look at this entire section of Deuteronomy, it's easy to notice that these regulations cover a wide variety of subjects. It covers marriage, it covers military service, it covers business, it covers loans, it covers employment, justice, it covers generosity. At first, they may seem unrelated, but together they reveal one consistent truth. God cares deeply about how his people treat one another. Let us remember that. These laws are far more than legal requirements. They reveal the character of God Himself. See, God, He is a God of justice, He is a God of compassion, He is a God of integrity, He is a God of mercy, and He calls His people to reflect those same qualities in every area of life. Now, when we read these regulations, we quickly realize that none of us have kept God's standards perfectly. See, I know I haven't. I can't speak for you, but I know I haven't kept any of these regulations perfectly. Matter of fact, I haven't kept any regulation that the Lord gave us from Genesis 1 all the way through through Revelation 22 perfectly. Not even half perfectly. Every one of us have fallen, every one of us have failed. We've been selfish, I know I have. We've lacked compassion, I know I have. We've spoken when we should have remained silent, I'm guilty of that. We've withdrawn kindness when we should have extended mercy. I'm guilty of that. We've all sinned and fall short of God's glory. We see that in Romans chapter 3, verse 23. I'm guilty of it. That is why we need more than regulations. We need a redeemer. The law reveals God's holy standard, but it cannot save us. It exposes our sin and shows us our need for Jesus Christ. See, Christ fulfilled the law perfectly. He treated people with perfect justice. He's he demonstrated perfect compassion. He extended perfect mercy. Then he willingly went to the cross to bear the punishment our sins deserve. Yes, he did. Through his death and resurrection, forgiveness is offered to everyone who believes. See, if we've never trusted Jesus Christ as our Savior, today is the day. If you haven't done it, it's today. Do it today. Today is the day to turn to him in faith. And if you are a believer, let these practical instructions challenge you to examine your own life and ask yourself, Am I treating people with dignity? Am I conducting my business with integrity? Am I showing compassion to those who are struggling? Am I generous with the blessings God had entrusted me with? That's an important one. Does my daily life reflect the character of my Savior? May we never forget what God has done for us. Never. He brought Israel out of Egypt in bondage. He has brought us out of the bondage of sin through Christ Jesus. Now he calls us to live differently, not to earn his favor, but because we have already received his grace. May our lives point people to Christ by demonstrating his truth, his love, his mercy, and his holiness every single day. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. All things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 17. May God help us to live like people who have truly been changed by his amazing grace. And to that I have to say amen. And that brings us to the end of Deuteronomy chapter 24.

Prayer Requests And Final Blessing

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Well, as always, I hope that you got something out of this lesson. As I always ask, continue to pray for me. Pray that I stay steadfast in the scriptures. Stay, pray that I stay on the straight, narrow path. Pray for me that the Lord is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Pray that I stay in good health and good spirits, and that the Lord keeps me in these scriptures to continue to bring the scriptures to you. And I am always praying for you as well. It means a great deal to me that you take time out of your morning, your afternoon, or your evening to listen to me go through the word of God as we learn together. As I've told you, believe it or not, every time that I study these scriptures, I learn something that I didn't know before. And a lot of times it's pointing right back at me. It's like a mirror. Uh I read through my scriptures every day, as I told you before, I read through the Bible every year, but studying is different than just reading. And when I'm studying and breaking all these lessons to bring to you, I'm always learning something new that I might have missed in my reading, something new about uh the covenant with Israel or where we are in grace. And a lot of times I see things in me that I have gotten wrong, and I've had to go to the Lord and say, Lord, I have actually either done those things or I might have said those things and I was wrong. Lord, but thank you for correcting me and able to bring it to the people and bring it straight. See, when I bring these scriptures, I always ask the Lord to not let a single false word come out of my mouth. I take it very seriously. I am praying for you that you are in good health, that you are steadfast, and that you are doing well wherever you may be. And let's say a special prayer. Now, I don't uh normally always I should say look at uh the statistics of uh where our listeners are, but over the past month, we have six continents out there, and over the past months, we have two continents that we have uh not had any listeners or downloads in. Now, overall, since we've been doing this, we have had listeners on all of the continents, but over the last month, we haven't had any listeners in Africa or in Australia. So when you're praying for me over here, say a prayer for our brothers and sisters and those who need to hear this word of God in Australia and Africa that they pick back up where they left off and get back into this word of God with us. All right, that brings us to the end of Deuteronomy chapter 24. That is all for now. God bless. Thank you for

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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 Bereans Corner.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.