Day Three – Deuteronomy 24:14-25:10

Day 3 – Deuteronomy 24:14-25:10

We entered into the dense field of Jewish law today. God had Moses write down laws for His people as they wandered the desert and then settled in the land. God wanted His people to live orderly, kind lives, not taking advantage of one another. He is both a God of justice and mercy, and we see both qualities exhibited in the ancient laws of the Hebrew people.

We looked at two separate laws today in our reading that will help us understand the story of Ruth better. First, we read in Deuteronomy 24 many commands that made sure widows, orphans and foreigners were cared for appropriately, along with other poor folk who had very little money or property. Don’t you love God’s heart for the “least ones” of society? The Israelites who owned land were told to generously leave some of their crops in the field, so those who had nothing could eat. They were allowed to glean in those fields and vineyards without reproach. God even wanted laborers to be paid promptly. I love that. Anyone who has lived from paycheck to paycheck knows the importance of being paid on time and regularly. It can mean the difference between paying the rent and being homeless, right? God cared. The wealthy were expected to be generous in what they gave to those who were poor. I love this.

In Deuteronomy 25, we come across a strange custom. Because women in those days could not own property, it was extremely necessary for them to have a husband or son to care for them. The law of Moses even made provision for a widow whose husband died before she bore a child. If that husband had a brother, that brother was duty-bound to marry her and give her a child. That child would carry on the dead man’s name and inherit the dead man’s property. This provided for the widow. Unusual, for sure, to our modern thinking. But kind. Protective of women in a time when no one was particularly protective of them. God sees the little ones. The hurting ones. The needy ones. And He put laws into place to protect them. We’ll see this played out in the book of Ruth.

So … how was  your reading this morning? What verse intrigued you the most? Were you as fascinated as I was with some of these rules and regulations? I want to know. Comment below.

My verse: Deuteronomy 24:9 “The widow must walk over to him in the presence of the elders, pull his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face. Then she must declare, ‘This is what happens to a man who refuses to provide his brother with children.”

My response: Father, these times are so different culturally. Yet, I love that the widow was sort of legally allowed to scold a man who would leave her destitute – without children or inheritance. And I also like that the man isn’t forced into marriage either. But honestly? I am so grateful for my own freedoms as a woman today. Thank You, Lord, for making provision for women throughout history, even when no one else did.

A NOTE ABOUT DAY 4: What you will read tomorrow is very unsettling. It’s true and it’s God’s Word but it isn’t pleasant at all. If you are doing this study with a child, you might want to read Day 4 first and decide whether or not it is suitable reading for them. If you have experienced sexual abuse, you may also want to just skip the reading for the day. It’s about a real case of incest. Just wanted you to know. We’ll talk about it, of course, in the commentary. But I love you. I don’t want you shocked unduly. In case you have not read this portion of Scripture before.