a king who follows God’s rules

Posted on February 22, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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Deuteronomy 17:14-15 (JDV)

a king who follows God’s rules

Deuteronomy 17:14 “When you enter the land Yahveh your God is giving you, take possession of it, live in it, and say, ‘I will place a king over me like all the nations around me,’

Deuteronomy 17:15 you are to place over you the king Yahveh your God chooses. Place a king from among your brothers. You are not to set a foreigner over you, or one who is not of your people.

a king who follows God’s rules

The Israelites had just come out of centuries of slavery to foreign rulers. So this instruction is understandable for just that reason. But there is another reason as well. The Israelites were to be a covenant community, so they must be led by covenant subscribers.

You and I need a king who follows God’s rules too. Our Messiah always does what pleases his Father, so we are safe following him.

Lord, thank you for our king, who obeys your will, and shows us how to be obedient too.

Posted in Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, new covenant, obedience | Tagged | 2 Comments

arrogant evil

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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arrogant evil

Deuteronomy 17:12-13 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 17:12 The person who acts arrogantly, refusing to listen either to the priest who stands there assisting Yahveh your God or to the judge, must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.
Deuteronomy 17:13 Then all the people will hear about it, be afraid, and no longer behave arrogantly.

arrogant evil

There is ignorant evil, and then there is arrogant evil. Ignorant evil can be reformed and changed. Arrogant evil is an affront both to God and the congregation. Moses is describing a rebel who is an arrogant person flatly refusing to conform to God’s will — but insisting on making the community change for him. Such people had no regard for God or the priests and judges who represented God and served his people. They were guilty of treason.

Christian, are there things that you are doing which you insist on continuing to do, even though you know they are not right? That is also an example of arrogant evil. It has to go, or you will!

Lord, forgive us of our sins we are committing in ignorance, and convict us of those we commit on purpose!

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trusting the judges

Posted on February 20, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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trusting the judges

Deuteronomy 17:8 -11 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 17:8 “If a judgment is too extraordinary1 for you – concerning bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults – cases disputed at your city gates, then go up to the place Yahveh your God chooses.

Deuteronomy 17:9 You are to go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who presides at that time. Ask, and they will give you a verdict in the judgment.

Deuteronomy 17:10 You must abide by the verdict they give you at the place Yahveh chooses. Be careful to do exactly as they instruct you.

Deuteronomy 17:11 You must abide by the instruction they give you and the judgment they announce to you. Do not turn to the right or the left from the decision they declare to you.

trusting the judges

Deferring to someone else’s judgment is a difficult thing to do, and requires the wisdom of humility. We might think we have evolved away from anarchy, and common sense reigns among us, but send a difficult case our way in which we are not privy to all the facts necessary to decide, and we will quickly revert to doing what feels right, or what is expedient.

Moses set up a council of Levitical priests and laymen which eventually became the Sanhedrin. It was supposed to help out in the difficult cases where justice was hard to find. It was the best that the Israelites could do, and even it did not always get justice right. Our Lord himself was tried and convicted by this group centuries later.

Still, the principle is a good one. Sometimes when you are too close to the situation, you cannot see clearly how to proceed. Find someone to ask who can reason more objectively.

Lord, when we don’t know the right thing to do, show us some wise people to ask for help.

1פָּלָא

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timeless truths about testifying

Posted on February 19, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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timeless truths about testifying

Deuteronomy 17:6-7

Deuteronomy 17:6 The one condemned to die is to be executed on the testimony of two or three witnesses. No one is to be executed on the testimony of a single witness.
Deuteronomy 17:7 The witnesses’ hands are to be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from you.

timeless truths about testifying

Verse four had mentioned the need for a thorough investigation. These verses elaborate on that. First, someone who sees something wrong (in this case, a person inciting rebellion against God and in favor of idolatry) must find one or two others who can verify the charge. A single witness is not enough. Going out and finding a mob looking to stone someone is not enough. A person’s life is at stake. God will not tolerate mob rule.

Secondly, the person who makes the accusation had better be sure enough of what he saw that he is ready to let his hands confirm what his eyes saw. The witnesses’ hands are to be the first in putting the rebel to death. If my hands are not willing to get sullied, then perhaps my eyes did not see what they thought they saw. If I am not willing to live my testimony, then people are not going to trust what I say I believe.

Thirdly, the community must join the witness in disposing of the rebel. A crime against God is a crime against the congregation. God intends that the testimonies of his people be nurtured and backed-up by the congregation. It takes a congregation to purge the evil from a community. One individual cannot do it alone.

It should be obvious that God does not want us to take up this practice today. The covenant in which stoning rebels was a part is no longer in effect. Jesus commands us to love our enemies — even God’s enemies. But there are some principles about testifying that are brought out in today’s text. These principles are timeless truths, and can be applied to our testimony about Christ.

In case you missed them the first time, here they are in essence:

1. A single testimony is not enough.
2. Live what you say you experienced.
3. It takes a congregation to back-up a testimony.

Lord, make us people who are willing to live what we say we have experienced, and give us congregations who will encourage and back-up our testimonies.

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repulsive religious acts

Posted on February 18, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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repulsive religious acts

Deuteronomy 17:1-5

Deuteronomy 17:1 “Do not sacrifice to Yahveh your God an ox or sheep with a defect or any serious flaw, because that is repulsive to Yahveh your God.
Deuteronomy 17:2 “If a man or woman among you in one of your towns that Yahveh your God will give you is discovered doing evil in the sight of Yahveh your God and violating his covenant
Deuteronomy 17:3 and has gone to serve other gods by bowing in worship to the sun, moon, or all the stars in the sky – about which I have commanded –
Deuteronomy 17:4 and if you are told or hear about it, then investigate it thoroughly. Notice if the report turns out to be true that this repulsive act has been done in Israel,
Deuteronomy 17:5 you are to bring out to your city gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing and stone them to death.

repulsive religious acts

Two repulsive religious acts are described here. First, it is repulsive to God to receive a flawed sacrifice. If we come before him with a gift of appreciation, it should be our best. A flawed sacrifice is an insult. Our acts of righteousness can be just that. Only Christ’s righteousness will do.

Secondly, it is repulsive to God for someone within the Israelite community to serve other gods. We can appreciate the beauty of the night sky, but we need to be careful to worship God only.

Lord, give us the wisdom to deliberately avoid what you find repulsive.

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our Asherahs and standing stones

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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our Asherahs and standing stones

Deuteronomy 16:21-22 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 16:21 “Do not set up an Asherah of any kind of wood next to the altar you will build for Yahveh your God,
Deuteronomy 16:22 and do not set up a standing stone; Yahveh your God hates them.

our Asherahs and standing stones

When I was a teenager, I had one of those mule-choker Bibles — a huge red King James covered in worn leather. I used to take it to school with me, and put it on my desk. It was very impressive, and that was the point. I wanted the other kids to know how spiritual I was. I didn’t know at the time that it was a standing stone for me.

Both the Asherahs and the standing stones were objects of worship that the Canaanites placed outside their houses. They were probably carved/chiseled and possibly painted to depict the images of Baal and his wife Asherah. The pagans probably competed to determine who was capable of producing the best ornament that identified the household as religious or pious.

God told the Israelites not to do that. They could build family altars, where they could seek his face in prayer and ask for his help, but he never wanted their family worship to degrade to what it had become for the Canaanites. He hated that. He still does.

Our relationship with God and our spiritual health is not a matter of competition. The only appropriate way to display it is by displaying our acts of obedience and attitudes of humility and mutual care for one another. Anything else is in danger of becoming an Asherah or standing stone, which God does not appreciate.

Lord, help us to tear down our Asheras and standing stones, and build godly lives that truly honor you.

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doggedly pursue justice

Posted on February 16, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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doggedly pursue justice

Deuteronomy 16:18 “Appoint judges and officials for your tribes in all your towns Yahveh your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with ethical judgment.

Deuteronomy 16:19 Do not deny justice or show partiality to1 anyone. Do not accept a bribe, because it blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

Deuteronomy 16:20 Pursue justice – justice, so that you will stay alive and take possession of the land Yahveh your God is giving you.

doggedly pursue justice

My wife and I do not binge watch often, but we were captivated by Susannah Grant’s “Unbelievable” and watched it in two nights. I appreciated the way the series depicted one of the detective’s Christian values. I also appreciated the story of how two of the detectives doggedly pursued justice for a group of victims, not stopping until they had caught and prosecuted the rapist.

Moses commanded judges for the Israelite tribes who would pursue justice for them. He warned them that they would be tempted to be partial, and that they needed to judge with integrity, because some would seek to bribe them to make them look the other way.

There are things in this world that are not right. We need those who walk with integrity, and doggedly pursue justice for those who are wrongly treated.

Lord, give us judges and lawgivers and police officers who seek justice for all, and will not be blinded by bribes or predjudice.

1literally “recognize the face of”

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three festivals

Posted on February 15, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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three festivals

Deuteronomy 16:16-17 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 16:16 “All your males are to appear three times a year before Yahveh your God in the place he chooses: at the Festival of Matzah, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Huts. No one is to appear before Yahveh empty-handed.
Deuteronomy 16:17 Everyone must appear with a gift suited to his means, according to the empowerment Yahveh your God has given you.

three festivals

The LORD did not require every member of the household to attend these three great yearly festivals, but he did require the male representatives to attend. Each of the festivals celebrated the relationship of God with his people.

  • He is their deliverer from the past slavery (Festival of Matzah),
  • He is their provider for the present (Festival of Weeks),
  • and he is their promise for the future (Festival of Huts).

Our Lord Jesus Christ offers the same benefits in his gospel.

  • He came to release the captives and set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18)
  • He provides the bread of life in himself (John 6:35, 48)
  • He promises a place for us in his Father’s house when he returns (John 14:2-3).

Christ can be for us all that God wants for us. Is there any reason not to celebrate that fact regularly?

LORD, thank you for all that you want for us, and for Jesus Christ, who embodies it all.

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stretch limbo

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

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stretch limbo

Deuteronomy 16:12-15

Deuteronomy 16:12 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt; carefully watch these prescriptions.

Deuteronomy 16:13 “You are to celebrate the Festival of Huts1 for seven days when you have gathered in everything from your threshing floor and winepress.

Deuteronomy 16:14 Enjoy yourselves at your festival – you, your son and daughter, your male and female slave, as well as the Levite, the guest, the fatherless, and the widow within your city gates.

Deuteronomy 16:15 You are to hold a seven-day festival for Yahveh your God in the place he chooses, because Yahveh your God will empower you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, and you will certainly have joy.

stretch limbo

Moses told the Israelites that they would certainly have joy. They would have numerous reasons to celebrate, but if they are not careful to keep the command to celebrate, it would be possible to overlook all of those reasons.

Our Christian life is also going to give us numerous reasons for celebration. But it will also be full of reasons for anxiety and stress which could steal that joy if we let it. Part of being faithful to God is remembering to celebrate regularly in spite of whatever the enemy is throwing at us.

The festival of Huts was a reminder of the long stretch of years during which the Israelites were stuck in the limbo of temporary existence. But God told them to celebrate that festival at the end of the harvest season. It was to accentuate the contrast between those decades of lack, and the years of plenty. But it was a reminder that even during those decades of lack, they really lacked nothing, because their Shepherd was leading them to green pastures.

Christian, are you in the land of plenty now, or are you still in the stretch limbo? Don’t let your fears about your current situation keep you from celebrating regularly with the rest of the congregation.

Good Shepherd, thank you for leading us out of the place of waiting and into the place of celebrating.

1סֻכָּה

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extending the family

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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extending the family

Deuteronomy 16:8-11 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 16:8 Eat matzah for six days. On the seventh day there is to be a solemn assembly to Yahveh your God; do not do any work.

Deuteronomy 16:9 “You are to count seven weeks, counting the weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain.

Deuteronomy 16:10 You are to celebrate the Festival of Weeks to Yahveh your God with a spontaneous voluntary offering that you give in proportion to how Yahveh your God has empowered you.

Deuteronomy 16:11 Enjoy the face of Yahveh your God in the place where he chooses to have his name dwell – you, your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite within your city gates, as well as the guest, the fatherless, and the widow among you.

extending the family

The festival of weeks was a celebration of the conclusion of the harvest season. This passage contains instructions as to how to celebrate that festival. It also gives us some insight into the social structure of the Israelite extended family at the time. It included the nuclear family— of course—, but the list in verse eleven tells us who would have been invited to share in the celebration. These would have been people adopted into the extended family.

Male and female slaves head the list. These were not foreigners, enslaved because of their race. They were usually fellow Israelites who had lost their ability to provide for themselves. While they worked to pay off their debts, they were considered part of the family, and thus joined in the harvest celebration.

The Levites in the local community were dedicated to serving God and their fellow Israelites, but were often dependent upon local families for their daily needs. Apparently one of the ways Levites survived was by being adopted into a local family.

A guest would have been a foreigner — a temporary resident from another nation who had attached himself and his family to that of a willing Israelite.

Orphans and widows who had no family of their own would also be adopted into this extended family.

God expected those he blessed to find others in their community and share that blessing with them. Including those abandoned by others, the Israelites were to exemplify the way God included them.

Lord, open our eyes to those around us who need a family to belong to and share life with.

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