Ecclesiastes 5&6: Religion & Wealth

Ecclesiastes 5&6 makes us reevaluate the way we look at religion and wealth. Without meaning to, we often take up secular attitudes and opinions toward these two topics, which can cause us to drift away from God. It's important to put everything in perspective. Remember, Solomon's main theme in Ecclesiastes, is if I died tomorrow, what then?

Introduction

In Ecclesiastes 5 and 6, we get more information about our relationship with God as opposed to religion and the vanity of wealth. It's important to remember that Solomon was questioning the meaning of life. In doing so, he points out the futility of certain actions people take thinking it will improve their chance of getting to Heaven. It's interesting to contemplate the fact that God has infinite time, with infinite knowledge while we have a very short time and limited knowledge. It makes sense that we fall into the devil's traps of wasting our time on trivial matters.
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Vain Sacrifices

Solomon addresses those who give sacrifices without considering the evil things they've done (or are doing). For most of us, religion is actually something we do out of habit more than love or spiritual connection. This allows us to detach from our actions, essentially making them void. In Solomon's day, the issue at hand was sacrifices. Some people brought sacrifices to God because thats what they thought they were supposed to do; however, they continued to do evil and sin. They weren't necessarily sorry for their actions nor did they link the death of the animal as their own punishment for sin being transferred to the animal.

Today, we experience the same problems. Some people go to church every week without ever developing a spiritual relationship with God; they just go because that's what they've been taught to do. We don't sacrifice anymore, but we pray for forgiveness from Jesus who acted as the ultimate sacrifice. Many are not taught that we are free because of Jesus' sacrifice, but the significance of Jesus as a sacrifice is lost in translation. Therefore, we repeat the same mistake Solomon is calling foolish: we expect forgiveness from Jesus while simultaneously continuing to do evil.

We must remember to build a relationship with God first and not do things out of habit but because we are moved to do so by God.

Watch What You Say

I used to be really bad about saying the first thing that came to my mind. Over time, I've learned that somethings are better left unsaid, and others need to be said a certain way. Though we are told in many places to mind our tongue, Solomon warns us about our speech again in Ecclesiastes 5.

One of the things that stood out to me was the disapproval of lengthiness. Solomon says fools have a multitude of words and that we should watch how much we say. It's hard to know how much is too much, but I think the best way to gauge is sincerity, which requires introspection and honesty with ourselves. For example, growing up, everyone said these long elaborate prayers when blessing the food; so, when we individually blessed our food, I would think long pauses in between my words, because I thought I was missing word. The truth is, the only words required are those in our hearts. We don't need to repeat ourselves or use 10 synonyms in a row to make the prayer/speech sound better.

In addition to speaking out of vanity, just to hear ourselves speak, there's also the issue of missing other people's points of view. Sometimes we should stop to listen.

Later, in Ecclesiastes 6, Solomon tells us a mouth can cause flesh to sin. When I first read that, it seemed odd. In my mind, I was thinking of Jesus' statement that if you are angry at your brother without cause you are guilty of murder, and assuming that if you speak the words, the sin of the thought came first. However, as I pondered it more, and thought of today's world, I realized what Solomon was saying. Sometimes we seduce people into doing things they shouldn't with our words. Solomon wasn't necessarily saying my words would cause my flesh to sin; he was saying my words could cause someone else's flesh to sin. The last thing I want is to be standing before God and Him tell me it was my fault so-and-so committed this and that sin! Watch what you say—I know I will.

Vows

Vows are defined in Numbers 30 (I also have a post on that chapter). In Ecclesiastes 5, Solomon tells us it's better not to make vow unto God than to make one then not pay it. The payment he speaks of is in reference to the offerings and monetary givings that are associated with the vow. I think in most things, it is better to just not, than to say you will and fail. When you bail out on things you've committed to, you seem flaky and people loose faith in you. Imagine if God didn't follow through with His promises... How awful would that be!?

The Poor

It seems pretty clear to me, simply by the fact that almost ever book in the Bible contains passages about the treatment of the poor that God really wanted us to pay attention to those with less than us. Solomon tells us not to marvel at the fact that people commit atrocities against the poor because God is on the side of the poor and God is highest authority.

The Rich

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Didier Weemaels

We all know the saying that money can't buy happiness, so it's not surprising that Solomon would tell us riches were all for naught. Solomon tells us that working men sleep soundly but the wealthy can't sleep at night. While this could be a subtle hint that the wealthy didn't accrue their wealth honestly, I think Solomon is actually talking about something else entirely. When you have a lot of money, everyone wants to be around you, whether they have your best interest in mind or not. People try to steal your money or swindle you out of it. You have more complicated taxes and likely more stress maintaining your finances.

Even if you could sleep soundly with your wealth (and I'm sure some of the wealthy do sleep soundly at least some nights), Solomon reminds us that you can't take it with you when you go. We can earn as much or as little as we want, but in the end, when we die, riches do us no good. Whether we consider wealth money and jewels, or livestock and land, once we die these things become obsolete. The best you can hope for is passing that wealth on you your family, which means you might as well share the wealth from the beginning.

It sounds pretty bleak when you think about it; especially since we live in a society that glamorizes wealth. However, we should remember that God has something even better for us in the end. God's gift to us after judgment is served and evil is eradicated is so wonderful, we won't even remember this life! Now that's something to look forward to.

Appreciate What You Have

We often dwell on the things we don't have. We complain about things that may seem trivial if we step back and look at our world. God blesses us everyday, and we often ignore that. From good health to a roof over our head, God makes sure we have everything we need, even if we don't have some of the things we want!

Solomon tells us that even if a man has everything one could consider important—family, wealth, longevity, etc.—but he doesn't not enjoy his happiness, he's worse off than a still born)! That's a strong statement, but I understand where Solomon is coming from. If you go through life blessed and are blind to your blessings, you've also closed your eyes to most of what's happening in the world. I wake up knowing I have a home, parents who love me, and my health, meanwhile an 8 year old child just died trying to protect his 7 year old sister from being raped!^[1] People on the Islands have lost everything, both family members and their possessions, in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.^[2] People in Venezuela are starving and without medical care.^[3] People in Myanmar are being gunned down for no reason whatsoever...^[4] So what kind of shallow existence would I have if I was unable to recognize my blessings from God?

Fate of the Dead

Solomon says something interesting when he talks about the fate of people when we die. He says that we all go to one place. If you read that verse without thinking about it, it sounds like Solomon is saying it doesn't matter whether we do good or evil because we end up in the same place. (A lot of people lean toward believing that too, because most people assume everyone who dies is in Heaven—but that's a post for another day.) That's not what Solomon is saying, though.

One of the biggest misconceptions about the Bible is that people go straight to Heaven or Hell after they die. Revelation makes it clear that when Christ comes back there will be two separate resurrections: 1 for those who are saved (1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Revelation 20:4-5) and 1 for those who did not believe in Christ (Revelation 20:6). Solomon is probably referring to the time between a person's death and the second coming of Christ. Everyone goes to the pit, also known as Sheol. This is not to be confused with purgatory; Sheol is simply a resting place for the souls of the dead.^[5]

Solomon's point was that whether you are good or bad, you must die at some point. Death does not prey on the evil nor spare the righteous. We have to live each day with purpose because just like those who follow Satan, we could die at any moment. We all have the same short term fate. The people of Solomon's time didn't know God's full plan (hence the name Revelation for the final book of the Bible), but even if they had known, once we die our fate is set. Thus, it makes sense that Solomon would reference the consequences of the first death without expounding on the ultimate fate of believers and non believers.

Logic Over Desire

It's interesting that we always say "follow your heart" but Solomon warns us not to follow our desires. Note, there is a subtle difference between the heart and desires: desires usually spring from the heart. The problem is, our desires change and may not be good for us. We don't always know what's best for us, but God does. We must give our hearts to God and allow Him to purge our desires and replace them with His own. As we align our heart with God, then we can follow it knowing we are following Him.

References

1. Minyvonne Burke. "California boy killed trying to protect younger sister from mother's abusive ex-boyfriend". NY Daily News. September 25, 2017
2. Joe Sterling and Cassandra Santiago. "For first time in 300 years, no one is living on Barbuda". CNN. September 15, 2017
3. "Venezuela crisis: What is behind the turmoil?". BBC. May 4, 2017
4. Max Bearak. "One month on, a bleak new reality emerges for 436,000 Rohingya refugees ". The Washington Post. September 25, 2017
5. Emil G. Hirsch. "Sheol". Jewish Encyclopedia. 1906

The Commandments Before Israel

What came first the law or Moses' hike up Mount Sinai? Many people would have you believe the law only applies to the Israelites and was first instantiated on Mount Sinai. However, there are examples of the law being enforced well before Moses' and the Israelites embarked on the Exodus. Let's look at some of these examples and discus what it means for us today.

Introduction

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Claire Anderson

People point to the law of Moses and the 10 Commandments as "Jewish law". When I explain that I keep the Biblical Sabbath, people continue the conversation by referring to it as the "Jewish Sabbath." We'll skip the distinction between Israelites and Jews, in favor of moving on to a more interesting topic: commandments that appear before Moses climbed Mount Sinai.
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The Proof is in the Pudding

Before I go into specific examples of specific laws, I want to talk about the obvious. In the beginning the only law given to Adam and Eve was not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Once Adam and Eve broke that law, they were expelled from the garden and not only lost access to the Tree of Life, but the Tree of Knowledge too. Since they were barred from entry from the garden, it was impossible for them to eat from the Tree of Knowledge again. Yet, by the time of Noah's generation sin was so rampant, God decided to destroy practically everyone and everything with a flood.

Romans 3:20 tells us that knowledge of sin comes from the law, while Romans 5:13 tells us that sin can't be imputed (or represented) without the law. Basically we are being told in Romans that sin has existed in the world from the moment Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge, but we only know we have sinned when there is a law to define sin. We see this more explicitly in 1 John 3:4 where sin is defined as transgression of the law.

That begs the question, how was there sin in Noah's day if there was no law until Moses? We could say that by barring them from entry to the garden specifically to protect the Tree of Life, God was implicitly creating the laws not to enter the garden and not to eat from the Tree of Life. However, we know that these people weren't all sneaking into the Garden of Eden—which was fortified with an Angel carrying a flaming sword—to steal fruit from either trees. God didn't need to create a law about the treasures of the garden because He made it impossible for them to get to it. That would be like our government writing a law that makes it illegal to live on Mars.

The chain of events tells us God must have given the first people some sort of law to live by. This law may not have ever been written down and was likely just passed down from parent to child through upbringing and verbal affirmation (or condemnation). When examining what was considered wrong and sinful pre-Mosaic law, we can see how God's law has not changed.
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Sacrifice and Offerings

³And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. ⁴And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: ⁵But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.Genesis 4:3-5 KJV

One of the first glimpses we see of life after the garden is the giving of offerings to God. Cain's anger grew as a result of God's favor toward Abel's offering over his on. Abel not only gives God a firstling of his flock, but the fat of the animal as well.

Doesn't this sound familiar? Leviticus goes into thorough detail about how animals are to be offered to God. In these passages God instructs that the fat is not to be eaten, but given to Him. Now, isn't it telling that Abel was shepherding a flock, sacrificed the offspring of his flock, and reserved the fat for God when he didn't even eat meat? Livestock would have been handy for many of the tasks they had to carry out, so it makes sense that he had a flock. However, why would he think to kill and sacrifice the animal? These sacrifices were a gruesome reminder that it was supposed to be us who died because of sin.

There were no pagan cultures around to influence Abel and Cain and the devil isn't mentioned in the narrative, which means Cain and Abel were inspired (or told) to bring sacrifices to God. At some point between the creation of Adam and Eve and Genesis 4, God instructed them to bring offerings to Him. This proves that sacrifices were a thing well before Moses began writing the law down.

Genesis continues to show us examples of the patriarchs building altars and sacrificing to God. Clearly some protocol had been established for this type of behavior well before Moses.

Examples of Sacrifices in Pre-Mosiac Law
Bible Verses	Example
Genesis 4:3-5	Cain and Abel offerings to God. Cain's was an offering of the field (grain), while Abel's was of the flock (burnt)
Genesis 8:20	Noah offers burnt offerings for every clean animal to God after the flood.
Genesis 22:1-18	Abraham almost offers Isaac, but God sends a ram to be offered instead.
Genesis 35	Jacob builds an altar, then pours a drink offering on the altar.
Exodus 10:24-25	Moses' argument to the Pharaoh about letting the Israelites go includes the need to give God sacrifices and burnt offerings.
Exodus 18:12	Moses' father-in-law gives a burnt offering to God in honor of what God has done for Israel. This is just before the Israelites reach mount Sinai.

Thou Shalt Not Kill

The first crime to be committed after Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden is murder when Cain kills Abel. God condemns Cain for this action and He is punished. If Cain was unaware that it was wrong to kill Abel, why did he lie about it and why did God punish him? When Cain is angry/jealous of Abel, God warns Cain that "sin lieth at the door" (Genesis 4:7), which is a big clue to what Cain did and did not know. Also, this mirrors Jesus' statement that we are in sin just for being angry at our brother without cause (Matthew 5:22).

Since God is telling Cain that he is about to sin and Cain clearly hides the fact that he killed Abel as though he knows it is wrong, based on the Bible's definition of sin and our own knowledge of human nature, we must assume Cain knew that it was wrong to kill. Thus there must have been a law of some sort stating the murder was wrong, even in the days when only the original family was on the earth.
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Noah Knew Clean and Unclean

People are quick to say clean and unclean, particularly when it comes to animals/diet, was only for the Israelites. Moses defines clean and unclean in Leviticus 11, but Noah knew the difference back in Genesis 7:2. God instructs Noah to bring more of the clean animals than the unclean ones. Once Noah and his family are back on dry land, God tells Noah he may eat meat and Noah makes a sacrifice when the clean animals. When God tells Noah he can eat the flesh of the animals, he doesn't specify clean or unclean, though he does bring up the issue of blood, which is repeated by Moses. Despite God not telling Noah specifically not to eat blood, we have to remember that the act of eating flesh usually followed sacrifice—they ate the meat they burned on the alter (i.e. cooked). Leviticus covers many of the laws about who could eat the sacrifices and when they could be eaten. Noah would have eaten the clean animals he sacrificed. This also explains why more of them were brought on the ark.

Sodom & Gomorrah

When we think about sin, it's impossible not to think of Sodom and Gomorrah. These two cities were eradicated, never to be built again, due to the sins being committed within their borders. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is given in Genesis 19. Let's put this in perspective of time. Just before destroying the city, God reveals His plan to Abraham who bargains with God to spare the city. Abraham's son Isaac is the father of Jacob who is the father of the 12 men the Tribes of Israel are named for. Therefore Abraham is the great-grandfather of the progenitors of the nation of Israel. Moses isn't even born until the descendants of those 12 men had been in captivity in Israel for roughly 400 years. Needless to say, the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were not Israelites and were quite far removed from the law being written down by Moses.

So what sins were committed in Sodom and Gomorrah? The one that probably comes to mind first is homosexuality; this one is the most obvious in Genesis 19. However, Ezekiel 16:49 provides a more extensive list of sins committed. Ezekiel tells us that Sodom was prideful, idle, ignoring the poor, haughtiness, and committing the abomination. Moses writes several laws about how to treat the poor when he and the Israelites are in the wilderness, but none of these had been written yet. Each of the things God despises in Sodom are the same things Jesus warns us about in the New Testament! We are told not to be proud in James 4:6 and Philippians 2:3 (to name a few). We are told of the dangers of idleness in 1 Timothy 5:12-13. Jesus tells us to be mindful of the poor in Luke 14:12-14; it is them that we should strive to feed! Haughtiness is spoken against throughout the Bible. The abomination is probably sexual immorality. All of these were considered sins before Moses and in the New Testament.

Levirate Marriage

The Levirate Marriage is outlined in Deuteronomy 25:5-6. The idea was that if a man died before his wife bore him children, she was to marry his brother, who was to provide an heir to the deceased brother's lineage. We see an example of this with Judah and Tamar. Judah was one of the 12 sons of Jacob; his descendants make up the tribe of Judah and most of the people we call Jews today are descended from him. Judah's eldest son married a woman named Tamar, but died before Tamar conceived. Tamar then married Judah's middle son, who tried to avoid producing an heir and was struck down by God. Judah refused to allow her to marry his youngest son, but in a strange twist of fate, ended up fathering Tamar's twins anyway (Genesis 38). The Israelite nation was only just forming at this time and Tamar was actually a Canaanite. While it's likely that she converted to worshiping the God of Abraham and abiding by His laws, for her to be so persistent that her child's father come from Judah's line implies that this was a common tradition on the region. God is clearly not saying that it's a new thing in Deuteronomy, rather He's confirming it as an actually party of His law.

Remember!

When God writes out the 4th commandment, did you ever wonder why He said "remember" before introducing the Sabbath? I've never said "remember" before bringing up something the other person or people didn't already know about. If I'm introducing something I want them to remember, I might say "Don't forget..." but it's not likely that I'm going to say "Remember to go to the grocery store next week". Just think about it; the command to remember something is literally asking you to think about something that has already happened. When did it already happen? During creation. God created the Sabbath from the very beginning. He didn't make that day holy while the Israelites were waiting at the foot of the mountain; it was holy from the first Sabbath ever created. It's never not been holy! In fact, before the Israelites get to Sinai, when God explains the food situation to the Israelites, He reminds them to collect double on the sixth day because none will fall on the Sabbath (Exodus 16:23-30).

Something to Think About

There are two reasons I think it's important to think about this. One, to realize that God's law is absolute and just. Two, to have a more solid foundation when the world brings up similarities between the law Moses wrote and "older" laws found in civilization.

Just Laws

People use the idea that the law was written for the Jews to justify not giving up habits that are condemned by the law. We see this logic fall apart when we poke harder. No one who argues that that they don't have to keep the Sabbath or that they can eat whatever they choose will agree that they can commit murder. The habit of picking and choosing which laws we choose to abide by severely hampers the message broadcast by the church. There's a lot more to the topic of understanding God's law than simply what is covered here. Obviously some rules did change; we don't sacrifice any more and people can't marry their relatives (Adam and Eve's children all married their sisters/brothers, remember). I discus the law a little more in the post entitled The Law, but eventually I plan do something a little most organized and coherent. Nonetheless, I think this is part of that idea. God didn't just make up laws for one group because He thought it would be fun to watch them struggle to keep them. Those laws are meant to protect the health, spirit, and well-being of His people, and since there is no difference between Jew and Gentile (Galatians 3:28), these laws are for the good of all mankind.

Stolen Laws?

Many of my non-believing friends and acquaintances have accused Moses of plagiarism based on the fact that the 10 Commandments are similar to laws that had been in existence long before the Israelites reached Sinai. I don't think it's the least bit odd that other cultures came to the conclusion it was wrong to kill, steal, lie, or cheat on your spouse. Even atheists will agree on that. The Bible talks about deception being the biggest reason for sin, especially in the end times. Even in the beginning, Eve was deceived into eating the fruit. Mankind's instinct identifies obvious evil behavior with no problem. Therefore it isn't shocking to find similarities across these laws.

What's more, these tribes and nations all funnel back to the same point. The Egyptians, for instance, descended from Mizraim who was the son of Ham. The Israelites from Shem who was Ham's brother. Shem and Ham would have been raised with similar morals and I imagine those morals would have been passed on to their children much like a game of telephone. Each of us is raised to believe certain things and behave a certain way, but we also have the free will to choose other paths. In my childhood church, we were all given the same lessons but life gave us different experiences. We each turned out different. Someone of us believe exactly what that church taught, some believe something a little different, some might not believe at all anymore. Yet we retain a lot of similarities in our behaviors and moral standards, regardless of where we ended up. The same can be said of how laws and beliefs spread after the flood. God's reason for telling Moses to write it down was to preserve the real information since so many versions were popping up around the world. This was God giving His one-on-one interview after the tabloids had leaked faulty information.

References

Joshua 22: East vs. West

After coming together to take the land, the Israelites almost tore themselves apart...

Introduction

The Israelites almost had a civil war during the early days of the nation, which could be a foreshadowing of their eventual split into the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. However, unlike the eventual split and the civil war of the U.S., the initial squabble was not between the north and the south, but the east and west.
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Fulfillment of the Oath

Now that all of the tribes had an inheritance, Joshua considered the tribes of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh successful at fulfilling their oath to march into battle until Israel possessed the land. Thus, the 2 and a half tribes are dismissed to return to their inheritances east of the Jordan. They are given spoils of war to take with them and share amongst the members of their tribe back home. When they return to the east, they build a grand altar; this is what sparks the confrontation.
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Declaring War

When the residents of the west see this grand altar, they are furious and ready to declare war. In preparation for the war, they send Phineas, son of Eleazar and presumably the acting high priest, along with 10 princes from the tribes to negotiate with the eastern tribes. As an aside, I'd like to point out that despite their misgivings about the altar, the eastern tribes did not rush into war; instead, they used a diplomatic approach first.

The issue was that sacrifices were only to occur at the altar specified by God, which was in the tabernacle at Shiloh (in the west). The western tribes feared the eastern tribes were positioning themselves to disobey God and begin sacrificing animals in an unauthorized location or possibly to an idol. This would have brought the wrath of God on the entirety of Israel. As such, the western tribes recognized it as their duty to prevent such a thing from happening.
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Misunderstandings

The eastern tribes quickly deny the western tribes' accusation. They reveal that the altar they constructed was meant to serve as a sign of unity and link them to the western tribes. Since they resided outside of the promised land, they desired a symbol marking their land as God's land. The tribes explained that in the future, when generations asked about their relationship to those to the west, they could show that they worshipped the same God. The eastern tribes decried any desire or intention of sacrificing on the altar. This explanation pleased the western Israelites greatly. Upon settling the matter, the tribes of Reuben and Gad named the altar Ed, which meant witness.
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Deuteronomy 5-26: The Second Address (Part 3)

This post covers the last third of Moses' second address in Deuteronomy 21-26. In these chapters Moses talks about familial issues (such as marriage and parenting), murder, rape, tithes and fair business practices.

Introduction

This post covers the last third of Moses' second address. The address spans from Deuteronomy 5 to 26, but this post focuses on the information covered in Deuteronomy 21-26. In these chapters Moses talks about familial issues (such as marriage and parenting), murder, rape, tithes and fair business practices.

Unknown Murderers

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Teran Chestnut

In some cases (probably most cases if the murderer could help it), a murder may occur without a witness. The city closest to the where the murder occurred was assumed to harbor the victim's killer. It's not like they could flee by car or plane. Therefore it was up to the elders of that city to make it right. This required a ritual in which the elders brought a female cow that had never been used for work to a valley that was not sewn or cultivated; there the cow was to be beheaded. After killing the cow, the elders washed their hands of the blood. This was the testimony of the elders that the people the city had neither seen or committed the murder.

Captives as Wives

In the case of captives, an Israelite man could take a wife, if he desired (women couldn't take husbands because men were never taken as captives). However, there were steps that had to be taken. The woman had to shave her head, which was symbolic of her humility—even today cutting off hair often symbolizes a new beginning. The man had to allow the woman a full month to mourn her parents along with anyone else she'd lost in the battle/war. The woman was to be elevated to an equal as his wife, as opposed to a slave. If the man chose to divorce her at a later point, he could not sell her as though she were a slave; she was to go freely wherever she chose. Since rape is condemned in Deuteronomy 22:25-27, this passage is addressing consensual relationships between captives and Israelites. This also debunks the myth that the Bible forbids interracial or cross-cultural marriage. As long as both the man and woman worshipped Him, He didn't seem to have a problem.

Firstborn Inheritance

In the case of polygamy, there was the possibility that one wife would be loved and the other despised (like Jacob's wives, Rachel and Leah). If the firstborn son was the son of the despised wife, he was not to be cheated of his inheritance. Instead, he was to receive a double portion of the inheritance. This would likely ease jealousy among brothers, avoiding situations like that between Joseph and his brothers.

Rebellious Children

Most children go through a "rebellious" phase, and all of us get in trouble at some point. However, some children are uncontrollable. If a child was unbearably rebellious and still wouldn't heed his/her parents, the child was to be brought before the elders and stoned. Key words in describing the children that were to be punished are glutton and drunkard, which not only indicated something more serious than sass-mouthing, but the age of the children. Likely this is referring to post-adolescent children, perhaps even adult offspring.

Like most of the 10 commandments, the penalty for not honoring your parents was death. The command to honor our parents parallels our relationship to God, the Father. If we can't love and obey our earthly parents who physically clothe, feed, and protect us, how can we love and obey God? This may be part of the reason God set the penalty for breaking this law so high.

Death by Hanging

Those put to death for sin were often hung from trees, perhaps as a reminder of their shame. Israel was not to leave such a body hanging after sunset. Since dead bodies were unclean to touch, the curse of the dead body would spread to land if they left it hanging too long. Death in this manner was considered a most shameful way to die—a disgrace not only to the man but to God, as we are made in His image and thus a reflection of Him—because only those who transgressed the law died in this manner.[1]

Various Laws

Lend A Hand

If you saw your neighbor's livestock roaming free or running away, you were to take them to your neighbor (as opposed to watching idly). If you didn't know who the animals belonged to, you were to hold them until someone came to claim them. This principle was true of anything one found that had been lost—clothes, animals, etc. If you saw someone's ox fall, you weren't to hide away, but to approach and offer a hand. God is commanding compassion and helpfulness among man. The basic concept is, if you see someone in need, you are to go help that person: a precursor to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Attire

Women and men were not to wear each other's garment. People often make this one of the hardest and most difficult commands to understand today. Some denominations interpret this to mean women can't wear pants (for instance, Pentecostal). I saw a blog post where a woman gave up clothing we consider unisex like t-shirts (I'm quite curious as to whether she gave up sneakers and tennis shoes as well). The problem with these interpretations is that pants aren't reserved for men, especially not in the way society sees skirts and heels for women today. No one would bat an eyelash if they saw a woman in pants, but people will stare if they see a man in a skirt. The irony is that at one point in time, no one wore pants... Robes, which were basically dresses and skirts, were worn during most of Biblical history.

If one doesn't want to take into consideration the change of fashion over time, recognizing the fact that there are women's pants and men's pants just as there were women's robes and men's robes in Moses' day, then I would think they would also have to advocate dressing in the same manner that Moses' contemporaries dressed. Why would pants, which weren't made for men at that time, ever be ok for a man if fashion was not allowed to change?

I think God's intent for this passage, was to inform us that it should be easy to distinguish a man from a woman. Women should not be masquerading as men (i.e. Mulan) and men should not be masquerading as women (i.e. drag queens). I'm sure we've all met people that we couldn't figure out if they were male or female just by looking at them. I know I've met several people like this.

From there, of course, comes the question of transgenderism. Unlike L, G, and B in the LGBT community, transgenderism isn't specifically condemned in the Bible. Some would probably use this verse (Deuteronomy 22:5) to suggest it condemns transgenderism, but does it?

I would say that in order to come to the conclusion that the Bible condemns transgenderism, you have to use multiple verses and think through the process. With this verse, you have to ask, if you have a sex change—let's say male to female—does God consider you a female now, or are you still a male? In that case, you are a male dressing as a female, which God calls an abomination. Also, during the transitioning time, you were definitely a man dressing as a woman, so it seems you would have to break God's law to get to the end result Further, we saw in the last part of Moses' second address, self disfigurement is forbidden. Would not changing your external reproductive organs into other reproductive organs be disfiguring your original organs? Further, the assumption that a person is one gender in their mind and another gender physically, implies that God made a mistake: that He put your consciousness in the wrong body. God doesn't make mistakes, however. Further, one could argue the idea that you are being a false witness against yourself by presenting your self as one gender when you were actually born another.

I think the Bible gives us reason to believe God does not approve of transgenderism, but I do not think there is one specific verse that outright condemns the practice; you can only come to that conclusion by using the context of several verses to draw a conclusion. More importantly, I think that a person who has undergone gender reassignment surgery, but repents and returns to God spiritually is saved. I don't know if the surgery is reversible (it probably costs a ton if is), but I would assume the ramifications of that would be between that person and God. Remember it is not our position to judge people but to love and share the truth.

Preservation of Life

When the colonists began moving West in the U.S., they found sport in hunting the buffalo, as well as, to cut off supplies needed by Native Americans. This act put the American Buffalo in danger of extinction (luckily conservation efforts have kept the species from disappearing).[2][3] God created each animal with a purpose and wanted to make sure the Israelites respected the balance of nature. It would do them no good if they hunted their source of food, clothing, and cleansing to extinction. God tells the Israelites that when they came upon a nest with a mother and her eggs (or babies), they were not to take both. This was to assure that either the mother or the babies survived to create more life.

Construction Guidelines

When you build a house today, there are rules and regulations that require certain safety features or precautions usually specific to the location. God issued the same type of guidelines for the construction process in Israel. The types houses they built had flat roofs, which were often used for sleeping. This opened the door for the possibility of someone falling off the roof, so God required them to have a railing on the roof.

Mixing Types

This is another one of those interesting passages that take a few read throughs, and some studying to understand. In Deuteronomy 22:9-11, God forbids the Israelites from mixing types together. Oxen and donkeys weren't allowed to plow together, seeds could not be mixed together, and clothes of blended cloth were not to be worn. (I discussed these commands in more depth when they appeared in Leviticus 19:19 in my post on Leviticus 19).

Of course the stand out question is does this mean the 50% cotton, 50% polyester shirt you have is against God's law? In the first iteration of this law (Leviticus 19:19), the materials specified are wool and linen. In Deuteronomy, God mentions this specific combination again. Most sources agree that God is specifically talking about wool and linen as opposed to the general mixing of clothes.[4][5][6][7] It is important to note the possible reasons why God instituted this law before we can understand how and if it is applicable today.

According to some sources, the priestly garments and and many of the adornments for the tabernacles were to be woven of both linen and wool, but when I reread the chapters on these topics, I only see linen being used. One source clarifies that the wool element comes from the dyed threads they were to use (see Exodus 28:6-8). From this, the claim is that the prohibition was to separate the holy from the average, similar to the way only a king wears a crown.[5][8] The implication is that it was not a moral issue so much as a separation issue. Still there are others who state that this is an issue of quality; garments that are 100% anything (silk, cotton, linen, wool) are more durable and of higher quality than those that are from mixed materials.[6] The third possibility listed is the fact that wool and linen when blended have been scientifically proven to cause problems.[4] I am still looking to verify this final claim. A final claim is that the mixing of things is symbolic, relating to Paul's command in the New Testament not to be unequally yoked. This claim asserts that mixing types is like mixing sin with righteousness, which is of course not something we are to do.[13]

Premarital Sex Allegations

If a man was to accuse his new bride of not being a virgin at the time of their marriage, he brought shame upon her. A man could not idly accuse a woman of such without having a chance to prove otherwise. The parents of the bride were to produce the "tokens" of her virginity—likely the cloth were she bled on her wedding night. If the man was proven wrong (the parents produced the tokens), he was to be chastised and required to pay the father of the bride 100 shekels of silver for tainting the name of the woman. By studying the original language and the historical context of the Bible, scholars conclude that the chastising was a physical punishment, not merely a verbal scolding.[9] After the ordeal, the man could not divorce the woman.

On the other hand, if the man was found to be right and the woman's innocence was not proven, she was to be stoned. Sexual purity was (and still is in God's eyesight) considered a huge deal. On top of this, there is the implied issue of lying. Deuteronomy 22:28-29 tells us what is to happen to unwed, unbetrothed virgins who have sex (hint: death is not the answer). Clearly, the issue in a man finding that his new wife was not a virgin is that he had been lied to and betrayed. Sex outside of marriage was essentially the same as committing adultery. Marriage between a man and a woman is symbolic of the covenant between man and God. Just as God calls idolatry whoredom, which was punished with death, sleeping with anyone other than your spouse, even if you didn't have a spouse yet, was considered whoredom and punished with death. God makes it perfectly clear that His people were only to have sex within the confines of marriage. Note that in cases of premarital sex, it was nearly impossible to prove a man had committed the crime unless he was caught in the act or admitted to it, which is why we are only given a scenario in which the woman is accused.

If an unmarried woman who was not engaged had sex, the man was required to marry her as well as pay the father 50 shekels of silver. This money was compensation of the dowry that would have been traditionally required in a typical marriage. The verse doesn't specify if the sex is consensual or if this is a case of rape, which seems so drastic compared to the strong condemnation of rape earlier in the chapter! Why would God force a woman to marry her rapist? This verse parallels the law given in Exodus 22:16-17, where we see that the marriage could be refused, forcing the man to pay without receiving a bride.

There are many things to be taken into consideration when thinking about this situation. Now that the woman was not a virgin, it would be hard for her to find a husband; she would have been considered defiled even though it was not her fault. On top of that she would be unable to take care of herself as a single woman. Women did not work, and her father's inheritance would have passed to her brothers (unless she had none). This arrangement was to ensure the woman had at least one choice for a husband. (Also note that in the case of consensual sex, this law forced men to marry the women they convinced to sleep with them, which discouraged leading women on to get sex.) In addition, the man could not divorce the woman if the marriage was accepted; he was stuck with that decision. He couldn't divorce her even in the case of adultery! Likely, however, the father would refuse the marriage in the case of rape and if the woman never found a husband, her brothers would be responsible for caring for her. No one in the Old Testament is ever forced to marry their rapist.[10][11]

Furthermore, there seems to be contention on whether the phrase "lay hold" means "seize" which implies rape, or simply means convince. Earlier in the chapter the word "forced" is used to indicate rape. Well known theologian John Gills contends that the original Hebrew used in this verse doesn't mean rape, but refers to consensual sex.[12] Gills' explanation makes the most sense to me. From this perspective, this is merely forcing men not to be players. Unlike today's society where some men try to sleep with as many women as they can before settling down, this would force them to be serious about any woman they chose to have sex with.

Adultery

Which brings us to the topic of adultery. In the case of adultery where both the man and woman were identified, both the man and the woman were to be stoned. However, if the act was a result of rape, only the man dies. God reminds us that there is no sin (fault) in the woman who is raped. The sin of rape is equated to killing a man. Many believe that Deuteronomy 22:24-27 seems to imply rape only occurs outside the city, however, this is not what is the verses are saying. Within the city, it was expected that if a woman was raped, she would cry out and someone would hear her. The person who heard the woman crying out would either rescue her and prevent the rape, or act as a witness to the event. Contrarily, in the country, it was unlikely that anyone would hear the woman cry out, thus they were to believe her by her own word without witness.

Decency

God also warns sons not to sleep with their father's wives (as Reuben did to Jacob). This seems like a given considering God forbids both incest and adultery.

Exclusions from the Congregation

From official churches to rogue individuals, there are lots of people today who try to exclude people from the body of Christ. Before Jesus opened the door to all of humanity, God actually specified who could not be accepted into the congregation of Israel in Deuteronomy 23. None of the people excluded where being punished for committing a sin so much as fro being the evidence of sin. Generally speaking, the congregation included adult males (at least 20 years old) who had been circumcised per the covenant and represented the holy community. God restricted those that would taint the holiness of the community as a reminder to the Israelites of the lingering effects of sin. Included in the list of excluded persons were those who were eunuchs, anyone born out of wedlock, Ammonites, and Moabites.

These people were not at fault and exclusion from the congregation was not a punishment, but a reminder to those who were in the congregation. The person born out of wedlock was the evidence of sexual impurity in the nation. Ammonites and Moabites were created through incest (Lot's daughters' sons were the progenitors of these two groups); also they were hostile to Israel during the journey through the wilderness. They too were a reminder of abominations man had taken part in since the fall. The more people that were excluded from the congregation spoke negatively on those who were included. The people who were excluded were not sinners themselves, but byproducts of sins. Thus, it wasn't an issue where if 90% of the population was excluded, the 10% were elite; the fewer people excluded from the nation, the closer the Israelites were walking with God (he blesses their offspring to be healthy and no children are born out of wedlock when the Israelites are obedient). Scholars believe that this command not only served as a reminder, but a deterrent to keep the Israelites from creating eunuchs.[14]

The exclusion lasted forever in the case of illegitimate children, Ammonites, and Moabites. However, Isaiah 56:3-4 tells us the eunuch, though excluded from the congregation, are promised a home with God if they keep His commandments. Clearly God is not abandoning these people. The exclusion did not keep them from worshipping God or exclude them from salvation. Likely, they were simply barred from being counted in the census or holding office.[14]

Inclusions in the Congregation

God also describes who is included in the congregation of Israel. They were not to turn their backs against the Egyptians and Edomites. The Edomites are described as their brothers, which is quite literal since Esau, father of the Edomites, was the brother of Jacob, father of the Israelites. The Egyptians were to be forgiven for their treatment of the Israelites and could enter the congregation at the 3rd generation. It is interesting to see that God had mercy on these people—particularly the Egyptians who participated in idolatry. What was different about them verses the Ammonites or Moabites? Was it their inability (or lack of desire) to covert the Israelites?

A parallel thought to remember when considering God's inclusion of the Egyptians is that this act magnified His ability to deliver them but minimized their cruelty the Egyptians. Jesus tells us we are to forgive people, this is exemplified in God's command to first forgive their brothers (Edom) and then their captors (Egypt).[16]

Uncleanness

Purity was a must, so uncleanness was not allowed in the camp—especially during war. If someone became unclean in their sleep they were to depart that morning, then wash their self that evening and return. They were to relieve themselves at the side of the camp, using a paddle to uncover a hole for their waste, which was to be covered afterward.

Slaves

Interestingly, the Israelites were told not to return runaway slaves to their masters, nor to oppose their slaves. While they were not to turn away or force slaves back to their masters, they were commanded to turn away the sexually impure, particularly those involved in cult prostitution. Along with not accepting these people into the congregation, they were not hire these people either. If it wasn't obvious before, clearly God was not ok with prostitution.[15]

Usury

Usury is the practice of charging obscenely high interest rates. The Israelites were not to place these types of interest rates on anything they leant to their neighbors. On the other hand, lans to strangers could be leant with high interest rates, probably because strangers would have a higher risk factor. All Israelites were bound to the same morals and obligation to pay back their debts and deal honestly, while strangers were not.

Vows

Once a vow was made to God, though it was made voluntarily and thus not required, it was considered stealing not to continue to uphold or complete a vow taken. As such, it was considered a serious sin to renege on a vow to the Lord.

Stealing

If a man walked through his brother's or neighbor's vineyard (or field of corn—possibly any field, but only corn and vineyards are specified directly), it was fine for him to take a little but he was not to take enough to place in a vessel (a basket, bag, etc.). The person could have just enough to fill their hunger—which seems to go hand in hand with leaving crops for the poor—but couldn't make a profit from someone else's handiwork.

Domestic Life

Moses discusses a series of issues that affect the Israelites' domestic life.

Marriage and Divorce

Marriage was a serious contract; it was supposed to last forever. God likens His relationship with His people as a marriage which explains why marriage was so important to Him. It's a lot easier to commit to someone who is flesh and blood than someone you can't see. Like our relationship with God, marriage was supposed to be binding for life.

Divorce was only allowed on certain occasions. In these verses, God is addressing divorces based on "uncleanness." Men were not allowed to simply divorce their wives because they liked someone else better, and throughout the New Testament we see that adultery is listed as the only legitimate reason to divorce someone. However, the law provides rules for divorces not concerning adultery to prevent men for treating their wives poorly after they decide they no longer wish to be married.[17] In Deuteronomy 24, we learn that if a man divorced his wife, she was free to marry another, however, under no circumstance was she ever allowed to go back to her first husband if she took a second. This stipulation was to force the man to really think about his action. Neither divorcing her second husband nor the death of her second husband made this woman available to her first. The divorce made them dead to each other because death is the only thing that severs the bond of marriage.[17]

Another marriage issue Moses discusses at the beginning of chapter 24, is the honeymoon phase. A newlywed man was to be free from work for an entire year! His sole duty during that time was to make his wife happy. He was also exempt from war for this same reason. God expected the husband to put all his effort in to pleasing his wife and building a home together during that first year.

Pledges

A pledge was basically collateral, such as how they take your license before you can tour an apartment.[18] In some cases, this may have been an "I owe you" situation and in others it may simply have been a temporary trade (for instance I may give you something of value as a pledge to use your horse for the day). Millstones could not be taken as a pledge, because they were required for grinding food. Both the upper and lower stones were necessary for survival and God didn't want people forcing others to die (or suffer more debt) over a pledge. He thus forbid anyone from taking such an object for payment or collateral. in addition, God specifies that pledges to taken from the poor were to be returned before night so that they would not have to be cold. This is also discussed in Exodus 22:26-27.

Leprosy

The Israelites were to learn about the plague of leprosy from the Levites. With this knowledge, they were to be diligent in quarantining those identified with leprosy. Moses gives the example of his sister Miriam being quarantined in the wilderness. In using this example, Moses was also declaring that it didn't matter who had the plaque, they were to be quarantined regardless. Miriam was the sister to both the leader and the high priest, and she was still quarantined.

Slavery & Kidnapping

The Israelites were commanded not to steal people, especially not for he purpose of servitude or selling. Anyone who was found guilty of such a thing was to be put to death. Regardless of whether the man was a stranger or brother, a servant was not to be oppressed. The Israelites were to pay their help on time and without delay.

Sin & Family

Children who damage someone's property usually aren't held liable for the damages, but it is very likely that parents will have to pay the bill. In the case of sin, however, parents can't bail out their children. They were not to die for their child's sin. Similarly, a child was not to be put to death for his father's sins. Here we learn that each person is ultimately responsible for his own sins.

Fairness

The Israelites were not to twist the law to harm the strangers, orphans, or widows. Neither were they to change to the law to help the rich. Taking a widow's garments for a pledge is discussed as Moses impresses fairness upon the people. Like millstones, the widow's garment couldn't be taken from the her as a pledge. God tells them to remember that they were one slaves in Egypt and how they were treated, but God spared them. For this reason they should obey God, and for this reason, they should spare those around them.

Crops were to be left in the field for the less fortunate (widows, orphans, and strangers). They were to freely glean from these crops—this is how Ruth meets Boaz. Both olive trees and vineyards fell under this law as well. This made sure that the poor had something; while it may not have been the best of the crop (beggars can't be choosers, right?), it would keep them from starving. This method provides for the poor, but still leaves reason for one to want to get out of poverty. Remember, the poor had to pick their own food, they weren't simply handed the crops. This is God's version of public assistance.

This mercy was also applied to animals. The Israelites weren't to muzzle an ox as they tread through the cornfield. The ox was owed the fruits of his labor.

Relationships & Mercy

When problems arose between people, a judge was to determine who was guilty of wrong doing. If the judge found the act worthy of punishment by lashing, they were restricted to 40 lashes, anything more was deemed cruel and vile. For comparison, in the American South, the number of lashings a slave could receive was dependent upon the master. There is evidence to show that some slaves received as few as 39 (within the Biblical range), to as many as 200 lashings as punishment.[19] The Quran (the basis of Islam) allows for up to 80 lashes, but Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia are much like the so-called Christian slave owners and may deliver well beyond that limit. Saudi Arabia issued a sentence of 7000 lashes for two men in 2007 (though they are not given all at one).[20]

Duties of a Brother-in-Law

Known as a Levirate marriage, a woman widowed before having children was to marry her husband's brother to produce a line to inherit the deceased husband's possessions and name. This is seen in Genesis 38 with Judah's daughter-in-law Tamar. When Judah's eldest son passed away before Tamar could conceive, he sent his middle son to marry her (read more about this example here). The firstborn child was to receive the deceased husband's name. The other children would received the brother's name.

If a man did not perform this duty, the woman was to take him before the elders. If he was found guilty and still refused his duty, she was to remove his shoe and spit in his face. While this punishment seems strange today, it would have been demoralizing back then (actually, it would be pretty demoralizing today, too). He would then be known as "the house of him that hath his shoe loosed" (how embarrassing?).[15]

Immodest Women

"Kick him were the sun don't shine" is a common phrase and popular for getting back at a man, but God would never give you that advice. The Bible tells us that a woman who attempts to help her husband in a fight by taking hold of the other man's "secrets" (i.e. private parts) was to lose her hand and no one was to pity her. Besides the obvious, the logic is that this action may prevent the man from having children, hence the harsh punishment. The ability to continue one's line, as discussed above in "Duties of a Brother-in-Law", was the closest thing to immortality people had and it was a huge deal. A man who couldn't produce heirs or a woman who was barren was considered incomplete.[15] Another possible reason for the severity of the punishment was the concept of fairness. Most societies had rules of honor in fighting. Even today, one would consider it a "low blow" or an unfair shot if someone were to go for the groin in a fight. On top of that, she would be interfering with a fight that should have been settled between the two men. Further, if the woman did damage the man's ability to reproduce or injure him, he may have been considered an eunuch, which would then exclude him from the congregation.

Just Weights

The Israelites were supposed to carry just weights. These weights would have been used to measure money when buying or selling. In Deuteronomy 25:13-16, God is condemning the practice of cheating people of their money. Everything was to be fair.

Amalek

Deuteronomy 25:17-19, God gives us the reason why He despises Amalek and the Amalekites. He reminds the Israelitesthat Amalek brought an army to attack their rear, smiting the weak and feeble. Amalek did not fear God, which automatically made him an enemy. In return, God wanted the Israelites to blot Amalek's existence out of history. Paradoxically, God commands them never to forget blotting Amalek out of history. I think what is meant by this series of commands from God, is that their ability to wipe away the memory of Amalek was to be an example for all generations to come. All the people would ever know about Amalek is that at one point he existed, he made God mad, and the Israelites destroyed his legacy. Aside from that information, the response would be "Amalek, who?" We will see the continuing conflict between the Israelites and the Amalekites over the course of the next few books.

Offering First Fruit

When the Israelites were settled in the promised land, they would eventually plant and/or harvest crops (some things were already planted). The first of these crops were to be given to God at the Temple via the priest. They were to recite their history from Israel's entry to Egypt through God delivering them—the highlights at least—before giving the first fruits to God. Likely, this is a reference to the Feast of Harvest (or Pentecost).

Tithes

Every 3rd year tithes went to the Levites, strangers, widows, and orphans. During the other two years, the tithes went directly to God. This measure helped the less fortunate in the same manner welfare or public assistance help the poor today. In the New Testament, Jesus continues to stress the importance of giving to others in need.

35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. ... 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.Matthew 25:35-40 KJV

Keep the Commandments

Once again, God reminds the Israelites to keep His commandments. Remember, this task is their end of the bargain in the covenant, so it is often stressed by God.

References

1. "Deuteronomy 21:22 Commentary". Bible Hub. 2016
2. "American Buffalo Are Endangered". Endangered Species. 2000
3. "Are buffalo endangered?". Reference.com. 2016
4. "Mixed Fabrics". Beyond Today. January 2011
5. "Why does the Bible speak against wearing clothing made of different types of fabric?". GotQuestions.org. 2016
6. "Should a Christian Wear Clothing of Mixed Fibers (Leviticus 19:19)?". Church of the Great God. 2016
7. Gilson, Tom. "Why Wearing Clothes of Mixed Fabrics (Leviticus 19:19) was Warong". Thinking Christian. January 2013
8. "What’s So Wrong with Mixing Wool & Linen?". Our Rabbi Jesus. July 2013
9. "Deuteronomy 22:18 Commentaries". Study Light. 2016
10. Hanegraaff, Hank. "How could the Bible command a rape victim to marry her rapist?". Christian Research Instituate. 2016
11. "Does Deuteronomy 22:28-29 command a rape victim to marry her rapist?". GotQuestions.org. 2016
12. Gills, John. "Deuteronomy 22:28 Commentary". Bible Study Tools. 2016
13. Ford, Mike. "Wool and Linen". Church of the Great God. 2015
14. "Deuteronomy 23:1". Bible Hub. 2016
15. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible. pg. 338, 340. 2014
16. "Deuteronomy 23 Commentary". Bible Study Tools. 2016
17. "Deuteronomy 24 Commentary". Bible Study Tools. 2016
18. "Pledge. Merriam Webster. 2016
19. Simkin, John. "Whipping of Slaves". Spartacus Educational. August 2014
20. Malone, Noreen. "How Many Lashes Can One Man Take". Slate. November 2008

Numbers 28&29: Feasts & Offerings

Sacrifices were important but Israel wasn't free to just give sacrifices, they had to fit God's specifications.

Introduction

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Roger Kirby

In the next few chapters, God discusses the details of sacrifices for the offerings He expects from the Israelites. God didn't just want any old offering; this is first exhibited in Genesis 4 when God favors Abel's offering to Cain's. God wanted something specific from the Israelites and He repeats His expectations throughout the books of law because these expectations are important to Him.

Why are these sacrifices so important? As Christians, whose debts have been paid by Jesus, we don't think about sacrifices often, nor do we reconcile the purpose of these sacrifices. God told Adam and Eve that the penalty for breaking His rule (eating the forbidden fruit) was death and in Romans 6:3, it is confirmed that the price of sin is death. The sacrificial death of the animals represented the death the Israelites deserved because of their sins. Today, Christ has played the role of a sacrifice, paying our debt to sin the way the blood of these animals used to pay for the Isrealites' sins.

The method of redemption is likely repeated to remind us of the weight/gravity of the issue. It reminds us to continually think of our shortcoming and foreshadows our ultimate redemption through Jesus, but it also reminds us that there is still hope for us.

Daily Offerings

The daily offering required 2 lambs in their first year; one lamb was to be sacrificed in the morning and the other at night. Along with the lambs, they were to offer 1/10 part of an ephah of flour mingled with 1/4 part of a hin of oil. Strong wine was to be given as a drink offering.

I am not sure what the difference between strong wine and regular wine is. Perhaps this meant the good, aged wine, as opposed to the newly created and weaker (less potent) wine. Some people believe that "wine" in the Bible is actually grape juice, however describing grape juice as strong does not make much sense to me.

Sabbath Offerings

On each Sabbath, they were to give 2 lambs—both in their first year and without blemish—2/10 deals of flour, and a drink offering. Presumably "the drink offering" mentioned is wine, as in Numbers 28:7. While this seems pretty straight forward, my lone question is in defining "Sabbath." Does this refer to the weekly Sabbath or does this also include the annual sabbaths? Since there is a separate passage dedicated to the feasts, I presume this offering was only expected on the 7^th day Sabbath.

Monthly Offerings

At the beginning of each month, the Israelites were to give a special burnt offering for God. It was to consist of 2 young bullocks, 1 ram, 7 lambs, 3/10 deals of flour mingled with oil for each bull, 2/10 deals of flour and oil for each ram, several tenths deal of flour and oil for each lamb, and drink offerings. For the drink offerings, each bull required 1/2 hin of wine. The ram required 1/3 hin of wine and each lamb required 1/4 hin of wine. Lastly, a kid of the goats was to be offered as a sin offering.

Feasts

In addition to the daily, weekly, and monthly offerings, there were annual sacrifices required in accordance with each feast.

Passover

The first feast of the year was the Passover feast commemorating God saving Israel's firstborn during the 10th plague of Israel. A special offering was to be given on the first day of the celebration (15^th day of the first month). This offering required 2 bullocks, 1 ram, and 7 lambs for a burnt offering. The meat offering was to be flour mingled with oil; each bullock required 3/10 deals, the ram required 2/10 deals, and each lamb required several tenth deals. A goat was to be sacrificed for a sin offering. This was to occur daily for the remaining days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Notice, this sacrifice is almost identical to the monthly sacrifice. The only part missing is the drink offering of wine.

Feast of First Fruits

The next feast to occur would be the feast of firstfruits. The offering for the feast was the same as the passover (2 bullocks, 1 ram, 7 lambs, flour, and a goat). Like the other feast offerings, this offering was required in addition to the daily offerings—I wonder if a feast day occurred on the Sabbath, if all three sacrifices were required.

Feast of Trumpets

The feast of trumpets occurred on the first day of the 7^th month. The offering for this feast required only 1 bullock, the usual 1 ram, 7 lambs, and corresponding meat offerings of flour. As usual, a goat was to be sacrificed for a sin offering.

Day of Atonement

On the 10^th day of the 7^th month was the feast and sacrifices for the day of atonement; this feast required the same offerings as the feast of trumpets.

Feast of Tabernacles

The 15^th day of the 7^th month signified the feast of tabernacles which required a great number of sacrifices. The sacrifices corresponding to each day of the feast are listed in the table below. We should be thankful that we don't have to sacrifice so many animals—the animals probably are too. However, it is also a reminder of how much blood was needed to cleanse the sins of the nation. I know that each family was to bring a passover lamb, however I am unsure whether the other feast day sacrifices were per family or for the whole nation. If this is per family, the amount of blood needed to cleanse the nation was unquenchable. It makes sense that God would send His son to foot the bill, if not out of pity for us, for the animals.

Day	Bullocks	Rams	Lambs	Goats	Flour
1	13	2	14	1	~5.7 deals
2	12	2	14	1	~5.4 deals
3	11	2	14	1	~5.1 deals
4	10	2	14	1	~4.8 deals
5	9	2	14	1	~4.5 deals
6	8	2	14	1	~4.2 deals
7	7	2	14	1	~3.9 deals
8	1	1	7	1	~1.2 deals

Numbers 15: Reminders

God reminds the people of His expectations, but He also gives the people a way to remember His commandments.

Introduction

God instructs Moses to make celebratory offerings (burnt, freewill, etc.) as soon as they enter Canaan. These offerings were to include flour, oil, and wine in various quantities based upon the type of offering (of the herd/flock vs. a ram vs. bull). We see the common theme and emphasis put upon the offerings to God. During the post-Exodus but pre-Jesus era, God's people were constantly sacrificing animals to cleanse themselves. We commit too much sin for an animal to cover all our blemishes and too often to keep up with the sacrifices. This is why Jesus had to die for us.
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Uniform Laws

Yet again, God reminds the Israelites that they are to have one law for both the Israelites, as well as, strangers in the land. Presumably, the law applied to servants as well. God is telling us here that there were not to be exceptions. Just because you were from another land (say Egypt) and did not believe in God, did not mean you could work on the Sabbath in God's land. While it seems odd and overbearing in our overly tolerant society today, it makes perfect sense. God's law is not an easy law, it never was and it never will be. If believers saw non-believers engaging in easier lifestyles that were against God, it would bring about the temptation to join them. Similarly, if you have people killing and serving any type of animal, how could the Jews know if they have become unclean? Did you know that sometimes they use pork in cheese today?^[1] Ramen noodles are made in a factory with shellfish (see the backside of the label) and thus even chicken flavored ramen may be unclean. This is what happens when people are following different laws; it becomes much more difficult to determine what you can and cannot eat.

God gives us hope that those sin unknowingly can be forgiven. During Moses' era this required a sacrifice, today, we call on the blood of Jesus. However, when you sin knowingly, it is a different story. God says that those people were to be cut off from Israel. Purposefully disobeying God is the ultimate disrespect—it's like a slap in the face. When you sin knowingly, you say, "I know God doesn't want me to do this, but I don't care; I'm going to do it anyway." An example, before I learned that cheese could have pork in it, I didn't worry about what type of cheese I bought or ate. When I realized that I probably have been consuming pork unknowingly, I asked God for forgiveness and I know He forgave me. However, now that I know cheese is not necessarily vegetarian, I have to check before I eat it; I don't continue to just eat cheese on the assumption it is vegetarian because I know that it's possible it is not. (If you're confused about why I care that pork may be in my cheese, please see my post of the Christian diet). Now, I am responsible for what I know, and it is my duty to act such that I am in accordance with God's wishes.
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Failure to Uphold the Sabbath

The Israelites find a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath, so they take him to Moses and Aaron for judgment. We are not told why he is collecting sticks, possibly to build a fire, but it is confirmed that this was unacceptable Sabbath behavior. God condemns the man to death by stoning. This is a strong reminder of the importance of the Sabbath. Not only is the Sabbath one of the 10 commandment, it began in the garden of Eden while the world was still perfect. We do many things today that do not seem like work because we've always done them, or it's an easy task, but that doesn't mean God approved of them on the Sabbath. In the New Testament, Jesus shows us how to determine if something is acceptable for the Sabbath. If it is an emergency or pertaining to God, Jesus says it's ok. I would imagine if you woke up on the Sabbath to find the temperature had dropped below freezing and were forced to gather sticks for a fire because you didn't have heat, Jesus would be ok with that as it is an emergency. However, if you just wake up and decide you want to collect sticks because you don't like how they look in your yard, He may not be so happy about your behavior. I discuss the Sabbath in more detail in the post Keep the Sabbath Holy.
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Fringe

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Laura Morariu

I once heard someone say that blue represented the law of God. The were pointing out that many churches neglect the color blue in their decor (red is probably the most common color seen inside the church), and referencing the fact that blue was supposed to remind us of the law. I couldn't figure out how they came to that conclusion at the time, but after rereading Numbers 15, I figured out their logic.

In this chapter, God instructs the Israelites to put fringe around their garments and place a blue ribbon on the fringe. This was meant to remind them of the commandments. Orthodox Jews still carry on this tradition.^[2] Blue is one of the colors featured in the adornments of the tabernacle as well.

Interestingly, blue is also the most popular (or most often cited as a favorite) color around the world.^[3] Are we drawn to blue because subconsciously we know that God's commands are best for us, or did God choose blue because He knew we would be drawn to it?
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References

1. "U.S. Products Made Without Pork (Porcine) Enzymes". Frito Lay. 2016
2. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible. pg. 259. 2014
3. Jordan, William. "Why is blue the world's favorite color?". You Gov. May 2015

Numbers 7: Tribal Princes' Offerings

The princes of Israel dedicate the tabernacle through offerings.

Introduction

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Elisa Perosio

Previously listed as chiefs or leaders, the head of each tribe is also referred to as a prince. After Moses anoints the tabernacle—in the first month, 1 year after leaving Egypt—each prince brings a series of offerings to dedicate the tabernacle. Each prince brought a silver platter that weighed 130 shekels and a silver bowl of 70 shekels, both filled with fine flour. They each also brought 1 gold spoon of 10 shekels (full of incense), 1 bull, 1 ram, 1 lamb of the first year (for a burnt offering), and 1 kid of the goats (for a sin offering). For a peace offering, each prince brought 2 oxen, 5 rams, 5 male goats, and 5 lambs of the first year. Together, the princes bring offerings for the Levites: 12 oxen and 6 wagons. Each wagon was pulled by 2 oxen. 2 of the wagons and 4 oxen are given to the sons of Gershon, while the other 4 wagons and 8 oxen are given to the sons of Merari. The sons of Kohath are not given any wagons or oxen because their services to sanctuary was to be borne on their shoulders.
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Importance

Numbers 7 is 89 verses long, but it merely repeats the identical items offered by each prince of Israel. Essentially we have the same paragraph 12 times, followed by a summation of those paragraphs. Why did God tell Moses to write all of that down? It doesn't seem that we need so much detail, from a surface level, yet as we think about what we are being told, it becomes obvious why God bragged on the gifts His servants bestowed upon His tabernacle. It shows the amount of wealth these former slaves had amassed by His hand. Think about it, this takes place only 1 year after they fled captivity. Most American slaves didn't even know they were free one year after they had been emancipated, let alone could they amass this type of wealth.

This passage is not to flaunt the wealth of the Israelites per se, but to flaunt the power of God. God kept His promise to raise up a prosperous nation from Abraham's seed, and He didn't hold back. From the moment the Israelites took that first step in sacrificing the passover lamb before the 10^th plague of Egypt, God took care of them. Similarly, today, from the moment we take that first step to believe in our eternal Passover Lamb, Jesus, God is taking care of us.
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References

1. Thomas Nelson Publishers. KJV Study Bible. 1988