BE DIFFERENT
Explore the Bible Lesson #01 for February 2012
[February 5th]
SCRIPTURE TEXTS:
Background
Texts: Deuteronomy 12:1-16:17
Focal Texts: Deuteronomy
14:1-2, 9-11, 19-23; 15:7-11
INTRODUCTION:
Conformity
to social norms is a powerful force in the world. Going all the way back to
tribal societies, there has often been a price to pay for being different. In
early school years we learn to mold our behavior and opinions to the standards
of the majority of our peers. A child that is different, whether it is in ones
appearance, physical statue, or some other way that makes them stand out in the
crowd, often bring persecution or shunning. No child enjoys being called a
nerd or stronger words. Therefore children learn early to imitate the
majority of their age group. Sadly we as a people accept this learned behavior
and act it out in many ways in our lives. Often times Christians find
themselves confronted with opinions and actions which are contrary to Gods
Word, but an accepted norm in society. As the world grows more and more
depraved this becomes a very real problem for believers.
In our lesson
texts today we see how God gave instructions to Israel which required them to be
different from the peoples around them. They were to be a chosen and right
living people, not allowing their neighbors to corrupt them with sinful
practices.
We too, as
believers in Christ, who have been called to walk in His footsteps, will often
have to be different. We must do that in order to demonstrate Christ and his love
to a lost and dying world. That is also because we have been commanded to
imitate our Lord. That is a world that has become more and more in the grasp of
Satans evil sway, so that it is all the more important that we be witnesses by
setting an example of holiness.
Our
background passages and our focal scripture texts give a variety of laws that
were to regulate the lives and conduct of Israel. All of these laws were for
their good, both morally and physically. But also these laws were intended to
make them different and unique among the pagan nations around them.
Let us explore the Bible texts
and see how Israel
was to be different and how we too may Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord u
[1] As Paul wrote
to the Corinthian church in 2nd Corinthians 6:17. He
was paraphrasing from Numbers 33:51, and Isaiah
52:11.
I.) MAINTAIN A GODLY WORLD VIEW: Deuteronomy 14:1-2
14:1 You are
the children of the Lord
your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the
dead. 2 For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for
Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of
the earth.
God specifically here forbid then
to practice the mourning rituals which the pagan tribes in the land did.
Cutting themselves and shaving their eyebrows were practices that the Canaanites
did when a relative died. God did not want them to mourn the way pagans did, who
not know God. As I have mentioned before, the word holy primarily means set aside for service to God. The
intent of this passage and many other such laws were intended to make them a
people who were unique in that they were set aside to serve the Lord God with
their manner of living.
Another primary
meaning of the word holy is righteous because they serve a righteous God;
they are to also be as righteous as is humanly possible.
And a third
purpose of such laws was for sanitary reasons. Many laws helped them to be a
healthier people and therefore a better and stronger nation of people. They
were not to grieve for their dead in the no hope way which the heathen
nations did.
We as
believers in Christ and in His promises of eternal life also should demonstrate
this faith even in times of grief. We do not sorrow as those who have no hope as Paul
reminded us in 1st Thessalonians 4:13.
It is natural
to grieve the loss of someone who we care about. But we will see them again as
He has promised us. They are alive in spirit with Him, for he shall bring them
with Him when He returns, or we shall go to where they are in glory.
II.) CHOOSE A CLEAN LIFESTYLE: Deuteronomy 14:9-11; 19-21
9 g these you may eat of all that are in the waters:
you may eat all that have fins and scales. 10 And whatever
does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you.
11 All clean birds you may eat.
..........................
19 Also ievery 4creeping thing that
flies is unclean for you; jthey shall not be
eaten.
20 You may eat all clean birds.
21 k You shall not eat
anything that dies of itself; you may give it to the alien who is
within your gates, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner;
lfor you are a holy people
to the Lord your God.
m You shall not boil
a young goat in its mothers milk.
I left several references in red so that these laws can be compared to other
passages. Please take note that these laws about a clean lifestyle forbid the
eating of scavenger creatures. For
instance they were forbidden to eat a buzzard or eagle, for those eat rotten
dead things. They also could not eat any insects which fly. They also would not
have sat down to a catfish dinner either, because catfish and all marine
creatures like them, such as eels, are also scavenger animals. Fish with scales
eat living prey and were acceptable to eat. These things were for their health
and also to warn them away from eating diseased flesh. In a time when there
were no medicines against infection, this was a great policy. They were also
forbidden to eat anything that died of itself. This prevented eating something
which was diseased. While they had no concept of germs, God protected them by
giving these rules for diet. This promoted a healthier people and contributed
to their uniqueness.
There has been a lot of speculation about the
last item listed, the probation against boiling a kid (young sheep or goat) in
its mothers milk. Normally only animals of one year and up were eaten. They
were also not used in sacrifice. It was a practice of pagan tribes to eat the
youngest animals because they were the tenderest. This was a mercy that
extended to the animals mother and to the animal itself. It also gave the
animal time to demonstrate that it was healthy and therefore fit for sacrifice
or food. There are numerous scriptures, (I counted 60), that call for a
sacrifice of a one year old animal. I saw none that proscribed another age.
While I am on the subject of foods they were allowed, and it be fit for
sacrifice, let us explore that subject a little further. The only four legged
animals they were to eat were animals that were also the types for sacrifice.
They were people of the altar.
Their life was tied up in substitutional sacrifice. The sacrifices took their
place of judgment for their sins - (in type, not actuality- which awaited the
perfect sacrifice of Christ). It demonstrated their faith in n Gods promises.
A little noticed fact about the
many sacrifices was that a portion usually was given as the meat for the
Priests, and on some occasions the one bringing the sacrifice also ate their
portions of it after it had been offer up to God. This shows by type that their
living came from the sacrifice of their offering. We today live by virtue of
His sacrifice, and we show tht by taking the bread and fruit of the vine in
communion. We are reminded that we live by means of his body and blood
sacrificed for us. There is a great deal of symbology that teaches us about
salvation in these Old Testament sacrifices. We dont have space to go deeply
into that here in this lesson. The book of Leviticus is full of great truths
about that.
III.) EXHIBIT CONSISTANT STEWARDSHIP: Deuteronomy14:22-23
22 You
shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year
by year. 23 And you shall eat before the Lord
your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of
your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of
your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.
The tithe was gathered every third
year after they entered the land and stored up to feed the Levites. (See verses 14:28-29) Also the
tithe of each years crop they were to bring it to the Tabernacle (later the Temple) and present it
before the Lord. Notice that this was a feast; they ate those items after the
priests received their portion.
It was a time
of feasting and was also a means of support for those whose job it was to be
the priests.
The tithe served as a sacrifice to God, a means of support for the Levitical
form of government. There was no king and the priest served as both
instructors and judges of problems which the people and their elders could not
solve by themselves. They were representatives of the people before God and of
God to the people. They were warned over and over in Exodus. Leviticus Numbers
and Deuteronomy to not neglect the tithe and to administer it from the best they
had, whether it was fruit, grain of animals. It served as a reminder of at
least two things. One that they were to be grateful and thankful for Gods
provision, and secondly they were to learn to trust Him for their needs, this
was a form of faith training. Just as the Sabbath day of rest was also a means
of teaching them to trust God and not to make work and earning their goal. Most
of the Laws had this aim, to teach them to rely upon the Lord.
IV.) KEEP A GENEROUS HEART: Deuteronomy 15:7-11
7 If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within
any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden
your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, 8 but
you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend
him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. 9 Beware lest
there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of
release, is at hand, and your eye be evil against your poor
brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the Lord against you, and
it become sin among you. 10 You shall
surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when
you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to
which you put your hand. 11 For the
poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, You
shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and
needy, in your land.
Understanding the background here
is needful in order to understand this rule. Every seven years was a year of
release. Old debts were wiped out and any debt made or owed close to that time
likely would be forgiven before it was paid back. This was to prevent the
wealthy coming into control of all the wealth and it also protected the poor
against becoming too mired down by debt. We sure could have used a rule like
that during our latest crash of the housing market and the Wall Street debacle.
For instance, if a poor man was
destitute, he could ask and receive a loan from a wealthy man. He probably
would get terms that would have required him to pay it off before the seven
year- year of
release. But if he was unable, then when the seventh year came, the
debt would have been forgiven. It is unclear if the property which the borrower
gave as a pledge
against the debt was to be returned or not. The tenor of the words of this law
leads me to think that the poor borrower would receive his pledge back when the
debt was canceled. This was one of the most important Laws for the well being
of the people. It was designed to preven excessive wealth or excessive
destitution, but unfortunately it was mostly ignored once they entered the
land.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS:
What
does this law say to us about how God expects us to treat each other?
What does
this say about Gods concern for all people despite their circumstances?
CONCLUSION:
All
of these laws which God gave the people demonstrated that He was concerned
about their daily lives, their health and most of all their spiritual well
being. He wished for them to be examples of right living, and he even had
concerns for the animals which were the bedrock wealth of the nation.
Agriculture and animal husbandry were the two most vital underpinnings of their
national wealth. Their form of government was to be a Theocracy which means
that is was God led, through the ministrations of the priesthood. This form
failed because it depended upon the people following these Laws, and they
failed to do this. One example of this failure was the failure to practice the
Sabbath years and the Jubilee years. They NEVER had a Jubilee year in the more
that 400 year history of the United
Kingdom. It is likely that they also failed
to observe the seven year release. It was called The Lords Release but they failed
to adhere to this.
Their failure is an example of the
depth of sinfulness in human makeup. Christians today still struggle with
righteous living, but fortunately we have a much better means of overcoming it.
We have the indwelling Holy Spirit to remind us of our failures. We have the
written Word of God to instruct us. They had to remember and hear the reading
of they law every few years, but tht too fell by the wayside. It their nation,
which had so much fewer resources for guidance was judged for its failure,
where do we thing we stand?
May God bless America! And He
will, if we seek His face and strive to live as He directed.
Prayerfully Submitted
Joe Forbus 02-01-12
