God Speaks
“Suppose two people take a dispute to court, and the judges declare that one is right and the other is wrong. 2 If the person in the wrong is sentenced to be flogged, the judge must command him to lie down and be beaten in his presence with the number of lashes appropriate to the crime. 3 But never give more than forty lashes; more than forty lashes would publicly humiliate your neighbor.
4 “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.
5 “If two brothers are living together on the same property and one of them dies without a son, his widow may not be married to anyone from outside the family. Instead, her husband’s brother should marry her and have intercourse with her to fulfill the duties of a brother-in-law. 6 The first son she bears to him will be considered the son of the dead brother, so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel.
7 “But if the man refuses to marry his brother’s widow, she must go to the town gate and say to the elders assembled there, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel—he refuses to fulfill the duties of a brother-in-law by marrying me.’ 8 The elders of the town will then summon him and talk with him. If he still refuses and says, ‘I don’t want to marry her,’ 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.’ 10 Ever afterward in Israel his family will be referred to as ‘the family of the man whose sandal was pulled off’!
11 “If two Israelite men get into a fight and the wife of one tries to rescue her husband by grabbing the testicles of the other man, 12 you must cut off her hand. Show her no pity.
13 “You must use accurate scales when you weigh out merchandise, 14 and you must use full and honest measures. 15 Yes, always use honest weights and measures, so that you may enjoy a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. 16 All who cheat with dishonest weights and measures are detestable to the Lord your God.
17 “Never forget what the Amalekites did to you as you came from Egypt. 18 They attacked you when you were exhausted and weary, and they struck down those who were straggling behind. They had no fear of God. 19 Therefore, when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies in the land he is giving you as a special possession, you must destroy the Amalekites and erase their memory from under heaven. Never forget this!
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Deuteronomy 25:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God’s compassion and justice are reflected in how He commands that we deal with criminals, widows, business ethics, and ruthless enemies.
2. People, because of their sin nature, are likely be over-zealous in punishing criminals, not honor or provide for childless widows, deal unscrupulously, or not hold ruthless people accountable for their actions.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Deuteronomy 25?
Dear LORD God who is slow to anger and abounding lovingkindness, thank You for watching out for the dignity of criminals, widows, and even men in a fight. Please help me and others of Your adopted children to not just follow “religious” rules and rituals but exhibit morality and ethics in our daily interactions. Please help me and others to fear the LORD properly. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for living in me and enabling me to correctly fear, trust, and obey God. May my daily life and interactions bring glory to Your name. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Deuteronomy 25? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will ensure that I behave ethically in my interactions and not bring confusion or dishonor to the designation Christian.
- I will study what the scriptures teach about various activities of daily life, then carry out those principles.
- I will speak up about an injustice I see occurring.
- I will participate in organizations like Feed My Starving Children or Operation Blessing to assist the very needy.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.