leaving the fruitful trees

Posted on March 13, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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leaving the fruitful trees

Deuteronomy 20:19-20 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 20:19 “When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it in order to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can get food from them. Do not fell them. Are trees of the field human, to come under siege by you?
Deuteronomy 20:20 But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce food. You may fell them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.

leaving the fruitful trees

Behind this instruction is the assumption that all of the cities the Israelites will encounter will soon be theirs, thus they are told not to destroy any of the fruit-bearing trees in order to lay siege to a city.

The mission for the Israelites was to take possession of the land God was giving them, making them a part of his kingdom. Our mission under Christ is to take possession of the hearts and minds of those who need him, making them a part of Christ’s kingdom.

By analogy then, we should be careful about how we destroy the strongholds with the gospel. People are not just individuals. They live in relationships. Those relationships are like the trees surrounding the city. We should try as best as we can not to force people to choose between their social relationships and the kingdom. For many, those relationships will be their means of bringing others with them when they come to Christ.

The Jewish missionaries in Acts decided not to add a long list of “how to be Jewish” to the requirements of coming to Christ. This left room for the fruitful trees of Gentile believers to reach their communities for Christ as well.

Lord, give us wisdom to reach people for you without destroying their connections with their own communities.

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destroying the defiled

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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destroying the defiled

Deuteronomy 20:15 This is how you are to treat all the cities that are far away from you and are not among the cities of these nations.
Deuteronomy 20:16 However, you must not let any breathing thing stay alive among the cities of these people Yahveh your God is giving you as an inheritance.
Deuteronomy 20:17 You must completely destroy them– the Hethite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite – as Yahveh your God has commanded you,
Deuteronomy 20:18 so that they won’t teach you to do all the repulsive acts they do for their gods, and you make mistakes against Yahveh your God.

destroying the defiled

God’s solution for the defilement of the land was to eliminate any breathing thing (neshemah) in it, and replace it with only his people, undefiled by idolatry and repulsive acts. If he had wanted the Israelites to round up the Canaanites and subject them to perpetual torture, he would have demanded it. But that is not God’s solution to the sin problem. What is true on the micro level is also true on the macro level. The wages of sin are the same. Our loving God will not subject humanity to an eternity of potential defilement by keeping those who have not been cleansed around to reinfect those he has cleansed.. His solution is to destroy them — soul and body in hell.

Those who argue for eternal conscious torment often claim that if we only knew how holy God is, we would not object to that perpetual punishment. But this passage and many others show how God intends to demonstrate his holiness. The command “You must completely destroy them” makes it clear that God shows his purity by purifying, and that purifying is accomplished by death.

Lord, teach us to respect your holiness by being honest with people about hell.

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first seek peace

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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first seek peace

Deuteronomy 20:10-14 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 20:10 “When you approach a city to fight against it, make an offer of peace.
Deuteronomy 20:11 If it answers your offer of peace and opens its gates to you, all the people found in it will become forced laborers for you and serve you.
Deuteronomy 20:12 However, if it does not make peace with you but wages war against you, lay siege to it.
Deuteronomy 20:13 When Yahveh your God hands it over to you, strike down all its males with the sword.
Deuteronomy 20:14 But you may take the women, dependents, animals, and whatever else is in the city — all its spoil — as plunder. You may enjoy the spoil of your enemies that Yahveh your God has given you.

first seek peace

The Israelite army was to invite peace of its surrounding cities, but to be prepared for war if those cities refused their offer. The next verses will make it clear that the invitation to peace only applied to those cities outside the perimeter of the land that was being given to Israel by God. The cities inside the perimeter were devoted to destruction already.

All kinds of comparisons come to mind, but at least one possibility for applying this text today has to do with how Christians should treat our benevolent neighbor religions. We should seek peace with everyone, even those who follow other faiths. How else will we gain an audience with those of other faiths?

But, if people of other faiths seek to destroy us, what then? Our covenant with Christ does not allow for our seeking personal revenge (Matthew 5:39), but the lines are a little grayer about the role of our governments (Romans 13:1-7). It is the role of government to protect its people, and that includes their religious freedom.

Matthew 5:39 But I tell you, do not retaliate when evil happens. Instead, when someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek as well.

Romans 13:1 Each soul is subject to the higher authorities. Because there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been put in place by God.
Romans 13:2 So the opponent of such authority opposes the direction of God, and those who resist will invite judgment
Romans 13:3 (because rulers cause no fear for good achievements but for bad). Do you want not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its approval,
Romans 13:4 because it is God’s servant for your good. But if you are doing wrong, fear, because it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer.
Romans 13:5 For this reason it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of the punishment the authorities can mete out, but also because of your conscience.
Romans 13:6 For this reason you also pay taxes, because the authorities are God’s servants devoted to governing.
Romans 13:7 Pay everyone what you owe them: taxes to the ones you owe taxes, revenue to the ones you owe revenue, respect t
Lord, show us how to live at peace in multicultural and multi-faith nations.

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pep talk 2

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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pep talk 2

Deuteronomy 20:8-9 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 20:8 The officers will address the army again and say, ‘Is there any man who is afraid or cowardly? Let him leave and return home, so that his brothers won’t lose heart as he did.’
Deuteronomy 20:9 When the officers have finished addressing the army, they will appoint military commanders to lead it.

pep talk 2

In an honor/shame culture, such a pep talk would immediately result in renewed determination to fight, and fight well. No one would want to sign up as a soldier, and then shrink back without engaging in battle.

Luke 9:61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.”
Luke 9:62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Jesus demands the same kind of commitment. Following him is not a part-time job. If you get started with the work, you will be expected to keep at it until quitting time.

Lord, build in us a determination to stay loyal to you,and busy doing what you call us to do.

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pep talk 1

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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Deuteronomy 20:5-7 (JDV)

pep talk 1

Deuteronomy 20:5 “The officers are to address the army, and this is what you should say: ‘Has any man built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him leave and return home. Or else, he may die in battle and another man dedicate it.
Deuteronomy 20:6 Has any man planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy its fruit? Let him leave and return home. Or else he may die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit.
Deuteronomy 20:7 Has any man become engaged to a woman and not married her? Let him leave and return home. Otherwise he may die in battle and another man marry her.

pep talk 1

I wish I could say that I heard lots of inspirational pep talks from my leaders when I was in the army. But I was blessed with a unit that nobody took seriously, not even the leaders. The only talk I remember was the First Sergeant’s weekly admonition that we enjoy ourselves on the weekend, but don’t overdo it. Meanwhile, the unit issued ration cards to each soldier allowing for consumption of enough alcohol to drown a hippo.

The Israelites were quite serious about their pep talks. It sounds like they are trying to weed out the less committed in today’s text. It was probably meant to encourage commitment. Those engaged in battle have to have their minds on the battle.

I think I am more committed to God and his kingdom now than I have ever been in my life, but I still need pep talks. I thank God that he got me hooked on seeking him in his word daily. I never fail to draw strength and courage from my time with him.

Lord, make us single-minded in our commitment to you.

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confidence instead of fear

Posted on March 8, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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confidence instead of fear

Deuteronomy 20:1-4 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 20:1 “When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them, because Yahveh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.
Deuteronomy 20:2 When you are about to engage in battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army.
Deuteronomy 20:3 He is to say to them: ‘Listen, Israel: Today you are about to engage in battle with your enemies. Do not be cowardly. Do not be afraid, alarmed, or terrified because of them.
Deuteronomy 20:4 You see, Yahveh your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.’

confidence instead of fear

“Do not be afraid” is one of the commandments emphasized in both testaments. Note this New Testament example:

Mark 6:50 because they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Have confidence, it is I; do not be afraid.”

The reason Jesus gave for expecting confidence from his disciples is the same reason Moses gives here. “Yahveh your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

There are lots of things we will experience in this life which foster legitimate fear. God does not promise us that we can avoid or escape those things. But he does promise to go with us through them.

Lord, we chose to face our fears, because we have confidence in you. We know you are going with us to fight for us and against anything that threatens us.

See also:

Chapter 13 FORGET YOUR FEARS

 

 

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covenant abuse

Posted on March 7, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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covenant abuse

Deuteronomy 19:16-21 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 19:16 “If a malicious witness testifies against someone accusing him of a crime,
Deuteronomy 19:17 the two people in the dispute are to stand in the presence of Yahveh before the priests and judges in authority at that time.
Deuteronomy 19:18 The judges are to make a careful investigation, and notice if the witness turns out to be a liar who has falsely testified against his brother,
Deuteronomy 19:19 you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from you.
Deuteronomy 19:20 Then everyone else will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything evil like this among you.
Deuteronomy 19:21 Do not show pity: throat for throat, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.

covenant abuse

No one admires a person who uses the law to take advantage of someone else. How much more evil is it when the law in question is the biblical covenant law. People bristle at such regulations as are represented in 19:21, but usually because they ignore the context. In this context, there is no question that the wrong could have been prevented. It was a premeditated attempt to abuse the covenant in order to harm someone else, and benefit from that harm. If people are allowed to do that with immunity, the covenant itself becomes a workshop for crime.

But in a different context, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” just becomes a slogan justifying personal revenge. Jesus rightly condemned that, because it too was an abuse of the scriptures (Matthew 5:38-39). Instead, Jesus teaches that we should love and pray for those who wrong us.

Respecting what God has said entails living according to his precepts, not using them to our advantage. Sometimes, the right thing to do is walk away praying for the one who damaged your eye and a broke your tooth.

Lord, show us how to show love even to those who wrong us, and leave the vengeance to you.

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shame crimes

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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shame crimes

Deuteronomy 19:14 -15

Deuteronomy 19:14 “Do not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, established at the start in the inheritance you will receive in the land Yahveh your God is giving you to take possession of.
Deuteronomy 19:15 “One witness cannot establish any violation or mistake against a person, whatever that person has done. A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

shame crimes

Moses knew that individuals in the community would be tempted to prey on others. These two prohibitions represent one kind of temptation there would be. Both are particular violations of another person’s human rights. In both examples, the violation makes the innocent party look guilty. It is bad enough to steal from me, but if you steal my boundary marker, you make me look like a thief. If you accuse me of a crime, you have committed a crime against me. Both of these are crimes against a person’s reputation. They are shame crimes. Like many other cultures around the world, in Israel the shame crime was considered especially reprehensible.

Loving our neighbors like ourselves means protected their honor, not preying on it. God’s counsel for New Testament believers is to “give preference to one another in honor” (Romans 12:10). We need to be lifting up each other, not finding secret ways to tear each other down.

Lord, show us how to lift each other up, and so demonstrate the love and respect you call us to have for one another.

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closing the loophole

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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closing the loophole

Deuteronomy 19:11-13 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 19:11 But if someone hates his neighbor, lies in ambush for him, attacks him, and strikes him fatally, and runs away to one of these cities,
Deuteronomy 19:12 the elders of his city are to send for him, take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood and he will die.
Deuteronomy 19:13 Do not look on him with pity but purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, and you will prosper.

closing the loophole

The English word loophole comes from the Middle English loupe, which referred to the opening of a city wall that made it possible to shoot arrows towards one’s enemy, while still being protected by the wall. The term came to mean any way of evading or escaping the consequences of a rule or law that was meant to protect someone else.

Moses closed the loophole to the city of refuge law quickly. The law was intended to protect the innocent, but someone guilty of premeditated murder would try to escape to a city of refuge in order to escape prosecution and execution. So, the elders of the murder victim’s city are responsible to extradite the suspect.

In the New Testament, Jesus often condemned the legalistic Pharisees for finding loopholes in the law to benefit themselves, and so ignore the weightier matters of the law — consideration of others and loving God above oneself. God’s rules are not a playground.They are designed to make us better people. When we use them against others, or to enrich ourselves and protect our sin, we will not be protected by them.

Lord, purge us of our hypocrisy and self-centeredness.

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innocent blood

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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innocent blood

Deuteronomy 19:8-10 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 19:8 If Yahveh your God enlarges your territory as he swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land he promised to give them –
Deuteronomy 19:9 provided you watch every one of these commands I am commanding you today and follow them, loving Yahveh your God and walking in his ways at all times – you are to add three more cities to these three.
Deuteronomy 19:10 In this way, innocent blood will not be shed, and you will not become guilty of bloodshed in the land Yahveh your God is giving you as an inheritance.

innocent blood

The larger the covenant community gets, the more need there will be for cities of refuge. The purpose for these places of self-imposed exile is to protect innocent lives. God will hold the entire community responsible for not valuing the lives of the innocent. He wants his people to protect those who are in danger and cannot protect themselves.

Our unborn cannot flee to cities of refuge — places where they can be safe from those who want to destroy them simply because they are not convenient. Our laws and courts are on the side of the predators. Our communities have become guilty of bloodshed by neglecting the innocent who are their prey.

Lord, show us how to protect our innocent from those who seek to destroy them.

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