Laws of Festivals, Judges, Trials, and Appointed Kings in Deuteronomy

Today's Reading:

• Deuteronomy 16:1 - 17:20
• Proverbs 12:8 - 9

Read Bible Passages Online

Deuteronomy 16:1 - 17:20
 Moses told the people which festivals they were to celebrate each year.  These festivals were to be celebrated at the single place God chose for his sanctuary -- the people would have to travel there.  These festivals were: Passover, Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters.

Moses also informed the people of God's instructions for dealing with idol worship, disagreements, lawsuits and more.  The people were to appoint local judges and officials to hear cases.  Should these people be unable to decide, the case was to be brought to the Levitical priests to decide.  Should a person be found guilty, their punishment must be carried out exactly as stated by the judge's sentence. 

People who worship idols or natural elements (sun, moon, etc) were to be put to death, but only if at least two witnesses saw them.  Those witnesses had to throw the first stones before the rest of the community could join in.

The people were also told requirements for a king, if they were to appoint one.  First of all, the people must make sure that the Lord has chosen the king.  The king must be an Israelite and must live humbly as a king.  He shouldn't build himself a fortune, and he should keep the instructions written on a scroll to read daily so that he would stay true and humble to both the citizens and to the Lord.

It's interesting to see the parallels between our democratic society today and the society the Israelites were to be a part of.  It's always reassuring that the Lord insists on fairness out of the leaders and the judges, and that there must be multiple witnesses if someone was going to be convicted of a crime with a death penalty.  No one said that the Lord our creator had to attempt to be fair to us.  Yes, I know life isn't fair -- but the Lord lays basic rules in attempt so that people be treated fairly.  The Lord created us all -- what if He wasn't concerned with our treatment, with how we treat others?  I am truly thankful that we have a Lord who is concerned with our fair treatment.

Proverbs 12:8 - 9

8  A sensible person wins admiration, but a warped mind is despised.

9  Better to be an ordinary person with a servant than to be a self-important but have no food.

 It is better to be a sensible, ordinary person than a pompous, poor person with a warped mind!  Whenever you might think you're too ordinary, just remember the things that make you beautiful to God -- because those are the only things that truly matter.

God is Fair; Moses Prepares to Die

Today's Reading:

• Numbers 26:52 - 28:15
  
• Proverbs 11:16 - 17

Read Bible Passages Online

Numbers 26:52 - 28:15
God told Moses to divide up the land among tribes.  The divide should be proportional to the population -- so larger tribes received more land than the small tribes, but all was in fair proportions. 

In the beginning of chapter 27, we see a complaint brought before Moses regarding the provisioning of land.  The daughters of Zelophehad were upset because he had died without a son, and thus the remaining family was not entitled to any land.  Moses brought this before the Lord, who said that the daughters should receive their share of inheritance.  Should there be no sons and no daughters, then it goes to his brother instead -- and so on. 

The point I got from these things is that our God is a fair God.  Always, he is fair.  He is fair in punishment (an eye for an eye), He is fair is equal proportions of land; He is fair in that he had multiple tiers of sacrifices that depended on what the person could afford; He is fair when requiring that we all tithe 10%, instead of a set amount that many cannot afford; He is fair in that the family is entitled to inheritance; He is fair in punishment (an eye for an eye) -- He is fair.  He is a fair Lord.  The world is not fair; this life is often not fair -- but the Lord is fair!  I am thrilled that our Lord is a fair Lord.  Thank you, Lord for being fair to your children!

Later in Chapter 27, the Lord tells Moses that he will soon die like Aaron.  Moses asks the Lord to appoint a new leader and the Lord chose Joshua.  Moses transferred some of his power to Joshua, and prepared the people for the change in leadership.  The reading ends with instructions for daily, weekly, monthly and bi-monthly sacrifices. 

Proverbs 11:16 - 17

16  A gracious woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth.

17  Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you.

Gaining wealth sounds great to so many people.  There are only a select few of us who would not like to gain more wealth than we already have.  But it's not worth it if we're gaining that wealth while being ruthless, or by being cruel.  Wealth is fleeting, this life is fleeting.  Kindness, graciousness, wisdom -- those are the traits we should long to acquire.  The Lord will provide for our needs, and we might even gain wealth that we can enjoy during this first life. But if we're going to gain wealth, lets do it the right way.  Let's be kind and gracious to others, share knowledge and wisdom, and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all those around us.