Deuteronomy chapter 25 includes a number of topics related to daily living. Moses is very near the end of his life and takes the opportunity to revisit important lessons. The chapter begins, “When two men have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judge will decide the case acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty“. Of course, the judges referred to here are the Jewish judges appointed by Moses. Although they were to judge in matters of God’s law, they were also to judge in “civil deputes” as well. How odd that in our country, even though our laws were established on biblical principals, somehow men of faith are considered unfit to serve as judges by those who refuse to acknowledge the existence of God. Perhaps that is why in Matthew chapter 18, Jesus urges His followers to settle deputes within the church where men are held to God’s higher standards. The chapter continues, “If the guilty man deserves to be beaten… have him flogged in his presence“. The judge was to insure the punishment was not excessive. The next verse limits the maximum number of lashes allowed to forty. God knows our human tendency is to retaliate without mercy to those that harm us. The prescribed punishment is not determined in anger, but by the law. For the same reason, spanking a child can be merciful, as long as the consequences are known before the offense and the punishment is not given in anger, but always with tender expression of unconditional love by the parent througout.
The next verse says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain“. The apostle Paul explains this verse in 1 Corinthians chapter 9. “Is it about an oxen that God is concerned? This was written for us, because when a plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seeds among you, is it too much that we reap a material harvest from you?” Once again, it is clear, we need to financially support our church and ministers. The chapter next explains the responsibility of a man to his brother’s wife in the event that his brother dies before having children. He is to “fulfill the duty of his brother… the first son shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that name will not be blotted out from Israel“. To refuse this responsibility was a disgrace. Psalm 127:3 reminds us that, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, children are a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth“. Children force us to look toward the future in order to secure a place for them. What heritage are you building for your children?
The chapter concludes with an insistence of dealing fairly in business. “Do not have two different weights in your bag one heavy, one light… you must have accurate weights and measures, so that you might live long on the land… God detests anyone who… deals dishonestly“. In business, it can be a challenge to profess your faith because people will hold you to a higher standard. Sometimes that accountability provides the motivation necessary to be an effective witness! Psalms 49:16 reminds us, “Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him“. In Matthew 6:19 Jesus reminds His followers, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also“. Where is your heart?