I have been reading through Deuteronomy, and it strikes me that though we may often think that the laws are full of “do nots” that were instituted to keep the Israelites from impurity, there are also many other types of commands. We should keep in mind that the people were trying to form a society, not just a religion. As such, there are many interesting statements that are not prohibitions, but good guidelines for living in a community. From Deuteronomy 22:1-4; 23:24 in The Message Version:
“If you see your neighbor’s ox or sheep wandering away, don’t pretend not to see it. Take it back to its owner. If it does not belong to someone nearby or you don’t know who the owner is, keep it until the owner comes looking for it; then return it. Do the same if you find your neighbor’s donkey, clothing, or anything else your neighbor loses. Don’t pretend you did not see it. If you see your neighbor’s ox or donkey lying on the road, do not look the other way. Go and help your neighbor get it to its feet!”
“You may eat your fill of grapes from your neighbor’s vineyard, but do not take any away in a basket. And you may pluck a few heads of your neighbor’s grain by hand, but you may not harvest it with a sickle.”
Both this passages are simple, real life, applicable situations (in their context) that kindness and love could be shown.
If you see a stray animal, don’t just ignore it. Take some initiative and find out what can be done to rectify the situation.
If an animal is lying in the road, make sure it is not dead. Instead, see to it that the owner gets it moving again.
When you have a field, allow people walking by to sample to fruits. And those of you sampling, don’t take advantage. Enjoy one another’s good will.
The New Testament Church picks up this same concept when everyone shared everything, and cared about one another’s well being. A godly community is not defined simply by regulations and prohibitions. A godly community functions by extending love and kindness to one another. And until our churches can get past the 10 Commandments to the heart and soul of loving communities, we will continue to refrain from extending kindness, and the animals will continue to run wild.
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3 comments:
hey, I'm in Deuterounomy too, and I was struck buy how much God community wanted the community to rely on Him. With the enemy being more powerful then them, the food provisions..and so on. I've gained a new appretiation for the Penituch the last few months.
At a boy Fabian. Way to read the OT. And you are right. The writer(s) of Deuteronomy make it clear that relying on anything or anyone else will lead to disaster. History confirms such a notion.
PS - perhaps as part of your appreciation you can also spell "Pentateuch" correctly.
Or better yet, spell it 'Torah'.
This past Sunday I read three different passages from Leviticus. It was amazing how much those passages brought the Luke passages to life.
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