Feb.27 - Deuteronomy 22 - 24

Wow! You talk about "Sexual Abstinence!"

1) If you had sex outside of marriage you were to be stoned to death! Today, if God's laws were in effect as they were in the day of Moses, millions of teenagers would be stoned to death! God made a strict law on this! He demanded that if any teenage woman who promiscuously violated her virginity she was to dragged to the front door of her parents home and stoned to death! And, anyone who committed adultery or any sexual act outside the bonds of marriage was to stoned to death as well! Can you imagine how this law, if it could be made into effect today, would save so many teenagers and our world today from emotional pain, sexually-transmitted diseases, unwanted babies, and abortions?

2) Ruth must have barely made it as an Israelite! In the next few weeks, we're going to read the story of Ruth, the great grandmother of King David. She was a Moabite woman. The important thing to know here is that in today's reading 23:3, "No...Moabite or any of their descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the Lord." In fact, according to the book of Matthew 1:17, there were "fourteen generations from Abraham to David." This means that Ruth actually was within the 10 generation elimination period. In other words, she could NOT be accepted into the assembly of Israel. However, God's mercy on Ruth due to her faith in Him, allows her to be married to Boaz, a Godly Jew, and is graciously given the privilege to be the great grandmother of one of the Godliest men in the Bible!

3) How would you like to have the law found in 24:5 put into legislature today! In this verse, it says, "A newly married man must not be drafted in the army or be given any other official responsibilities. He must be free to spend one year at home, bringing happiness to the wife he has married." I can hear all the women saying "Amen!" to that one!

4) Be a merciful person! That's the message of Deuteronomy 24! Listen to all the great advice Moses gives concerning the need to be gracious and merciful to others:
- Pay the poor before sunset! They need it!
- Give justice to people less fortunate or different than you!
- Be generous with your crops to feed the poor and needy!

Have you noticed how many times Moses reminds Israel throughout the book of Deuteronomy that they were once slaves in Egypt? He doesn't want them to forget where they came from! He want's them to always be thankful for what they have!

While so much more could be discussed, I hope this gives some food for thought. God bless!