Apr 17, 20247 min read

Eden to Eternity Vol. 1, Deuteronomy 19-27

Come along with me as I complete The Daily Grace Co.’s Eden to Eternity study!

This chronological Bible study requires us to dive into the 66 books of God’s Word while encouraging self-reflection and application. In the following posts, I intend to discuss the content, existing themes, and perceived messages throughout the Bible so we may dwell in scripture together.

I hope we can approach God's word with an open heart and fall more in love with Christ, who had our eternal salvation in mind all along!

5/66 | Author: Moses | Old Testament | Pentateuch/Torah | 1407-1406 B.C. (estimated)

These chapters are a continuation of how the Israelites were to live when entering their promised land.

19: Places of Refuge, Boundaries, and Witnesses

Three cities were designated for people who accidentally committed crimes and sought security until judgment. This was intended to prolong the lives of those who acted with innocent intentions but found themselves in an unfortunate circumstance (accidental death). Moving to a designated area protected them from others' vengeance.
- However, if someone murdered another intentionally, they were to be executed.
Property lines were not to be tempered between neighbors.
Three witnesses must provide testimony to convict an alleged guilty person. Someone who intends to lie as a witness to frame another person will receive the punishment their testimony would have inflicted.

20: War

When it is time to engage in battle, do not succumb to fear.
- "For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory" (20:4).
In certain circumstances, men should return home to tend to their harvest or their potential wives or family.
If peace is not accepted, then war can break out.
Defeated cities should capture women and valuables, but ensure that pagan practices do not continue.
Everything from these tribes should be destroyed to prevent false worship: the Hethites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (20:17).

21: Treatment of Murderous Cases, Foreign Women, Firstborns, Sons, and the Death Penalty

If someone committed murder, the city must be cleansed of the blood on the guilty's hands.
If they removed their fathers' traditions, women among captured enemies could be taken as wives.
Firstborn sons were to receive two portions of their father's estate.
Sons who did not adhere to their parents' discipline were to be stoned if they did not improve after city elders intervened.
People executed by hanging were not to remain on the tree for an extended period since "anyone hung on a tree is under God's curse" (21:23).

22: Your Brother's Property, Preserving Natural Distinctions, and Proper Conduct

Return any discovered property to its original owner.
Women and men should not wear each other's clothes; avoid intermixing contrasting things.
Show respect for life.
A man who claims his wife was not a virgin prior should be punished when this is proven false. Vice versa: if a woman was found to be promiscuous and lie, she would be stoned.
A man having an affair with a married woman resulted in death for both. If a man assaults an engaged woman, only he must die. A man who assaults an unmarried virgin must marry her and compensate her father for his violation.
There's no mingling with a father's wife.

23: Cleanliness, and Treatment

Third-generation Edomites and Egyptians were allowed in the Lord's assembly.
Keep the community clean and remove anything unclean.
- "For the Lord your God walks throughout your camp to protect you and deliver your enemies to you; so your encampments must be holy" (23:14).
Do not mistreat slaves.
Do not participate in prostitution.
Do not charge interest.
"Be careful to do whatever comes from your lips, because you have freely vowed what you promised to the Lord your God" (23:23).
Do not steal or ruin someone else's harvest.

24: Marriage, Divorce, and People in Need

Divorce can be served if a man finds something unsatisfactory about his marriage with his wife, but they cannot return to one another once they have entered another marriage.
Captors must die.
Avoid diseased skin.
Don't oppress or abuse anyone for the sake of greed.

25: Fairness, Family, Honesty, and Revenge

Go to court to settle disagreements.
To sustain the family name, a widow should marry her brother-in-law in hopes of having a son. If the brother refuses, she can take his sandal and spit in his face (literally, 25:9).
The weights and measurements of goods must be honest and accurate.
Do not forget about the Amalekites attacking the Israelites while they were weak.

26: Firstfruits and the Covenant

Present the Lord with the first fruits upon entering the land He's given.
After three years, a tenth of the harvest must be shared with the Levites, widows, and immigrants so that everyone's needs are satisfied.
Align with the standards of the covenant.
Love God with your entire heart.

27: The Law

Moses told the Israelites that once they crossed the Jordan, they were to plaster stones with these commands. They are the people of God (27:9). The Levitical priests repeated statutes to warn the Israelites of curses if they lived in disobedience.

Deuteronomy 21 contains insights that I didn't miss this time around.

First, 21:10 declares that God will hand over the opposition to the Israelites. Imagine how special this promise was for this group of people who faced a new battle every few steps. What is slightly humbling when considering the Israelites compared to modern-day Christians is that, today, we live out the action of Jesus defeating death, we have access to the Holy Spirit, and we still have the living promise that God will go before us and hand over our enemies. They did not have the same advantages as we do. These people didn't yet understand the foreshadowing we see when a king is mentioned. We have seen God's Word come alive and remain relevant, and we have spiritual resources! Lord, help us with any lingering unbelief!

Next, it was important for me to take note of the commentary on the curse inflicted when someone is hung on a tree. My heart immediately sank as I understood the connection between this law and what had to occur for our curses to be lifted from us.

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13).

Jesus was crucified on a tree of sorts and left to receive a curse that was meant for us. Being executed in this manner was a common practice for criminals, not holy men who created disciples, shared the Word of God, and spoke miraculous blessings that led to healing. For us, Jesus publicly suffered the punishment of a shamed man. This verse continues to explain that to maintain dignity, even for the guilty, the bodies were to be quickly removed and buried. Jesus was on the cross for approximately nine hours. He was gawked at. His clothes were bet on. Jesus was shown no dignity, even though His life would directly alter the physical and spiritual world forever.

I am enamored with the character of Jesus, our living example of what it means to honor God. He was perfect but received the most aggressive slander and harassment. Still, He displayed a gentle-spirited, unconditional kindness that shocked people. Until the last second of pain, Jesus knew the importance of what He was fulfilling—and He still asked for forgiveness on behalf of oblivious persecutors. We needed this level of spiritual maturity from our divine Counselor.

Since the beginning, God has planted seeds for us. Redemption was in the works for thousands of years, until the time was right and our Savior was ministering to His people in the flesh. God, our Jehovah-Jireh, covered every detail and crafted the greatest escape plan ever. God's mercy and everlasting love have always been mightier than our sins, as seen through Jesus' burial and resurrection, lifting the curses He bore for our sake and freeing us for eternity.

As I read through the first five books of the Bible, I cannot express enough how my perspective on the law has changed. I used to be intimidated by the pressure to meet these standards, which are nearly impossible given how freely we fall into sin today. However, these principles were not created for us today, but for the Israelites then. I realized that it emphasizes God's holiness—the same God that wants us (sinners) to be near Him. He cherishes us to such an extent that He expects nothing less of us than to align with such principles. This covenant was implemented to differentiate God's chosen people from their fallen neighbors. And even when we couldn't (or wouldn't), He made a way for us in case we didn't realize what we'd done to ourselves. Our compassionate Father never wanted us to be weighed down by any law, but He sought closeness with us until we were sanctified through Jesus. The Israelites were given these guidelines to refer to until their lives were secured through faith in Jesus!

"Why then was the law given? It was added for the sake of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come." (Galatians 3:19).

Gratitude List:

Jesus—I feel more appreciative than usual for the gift that is Jesus in His entirety. Then, now, and when He returns, I am thankful for our King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Words of affirmation: God has a way of resting certain words on our hearts that must be shared with others. Say the things to whoever needs to hear them!
I am making connections in scripture that I previously missed!
Waking up earlier on weekday mornings instead of waking up with just enough time to be on time.
Costco hauls and new finds!
Barkbox arrivals and joyful dogs!