Read Deuteronomy 21
Atonement for an Unsolved Murder
21 If someone is found slain, lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who the killer was, 2 your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance from the body to the neighboring towns. 3 Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke 4 and lead it down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer’s neck. 5 The Levitical priests shall step forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the Lord and to decide all cases of dispute and assault. 6 Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, 7 and they shall declare: “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. 8 Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, Lord, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent person.” Then the bloodshed will be atoned for,9 and you will have purged from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
Marrying a Captive Woman
10 When you go to war against your enemies and the Lord your God delivers them into your hands and you take captives, 11 if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife. 12 Bring her into your home and have her shave her head, trim her nails 13 and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month,then you may go to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife. 14 If you are not pleased with her, let her go wherever she wishes. You must not sell her or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her.
The Right of the Firstborn
15 If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear him sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love, 16 when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love. 17 He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him.
A Rebellious Son
18 If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, 19 his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. 20 They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.”21 Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid.
Various Laws
22 If someone guilty of a capital offense is put to death and their body is exposed on a pole, 23 you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.
Go Deeper
There is a lot here in this chapter that is hard to read and confusing, but let’s dive into it a little deeper and consider what it shows us about God’s character. When it comes to the laws discussed here in Deuteronomy 21, it’s important for us to remember that God is not condoning these actions; instead, He is meeting His people in their sin and pointing them to a better way. Here on this side of Eden, our world is fallen and broken. God knows this. How kind that rather than leaving us to our own direction, He gives us an honorable way to handle and respond to these situations. It’s not a justification but a redirection.
Verses 10-14 address the custom of taking females captive as the plunder of war. God’s directive restored some dignity to the captives, allowing them time to grieve their lost family members. This month-long grieving period allowed the master of the household time to cool off and think more clearly before deciding whether or not to marry the woman. God was not condoning this practice but showing His people that these female captives were not mere possessions to be sold.
Verses 18-21 go to extremes to punish rebellious sons. Parents are to bring their son to the city elders and explain that he is a drunk and a glutton who refuses to listen to them or obey. The men of the city are to stone him to death as a punishment and warning to the community. GotQuestions.org points out these extreme measures were reserved for ongoing, deep-seated rebellion against parents and God: “The law requiring rebellious children to be stoned to death was meant for extreme cases to protect God’s people. It would have been heartbreaking for parents to bear the responsibility of initiating such severe measures. However, the Bible never records this law being enforced.”
In contrast to the unrepentant son of Deuteronomy 21, Jesus offers the rebellious son another path in the New Testament, a chance to choose life rather than death. Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son relates the story of a son who wants to return to his father’s household after a period of off-the-rails rebellion. Instead of stoning him, his father welcomes him with open arms, just as our heavenly Father welcomes us when we repent and return to His household. Verses 22 and 23 are translated in ESV, “a man hanged on a tree is cursed.” In that time period, it was common to crucify a man in a prominent place to amplify the humiliation of the punishment and deter others from committing a crime. Often our worst thoughts and actions are ones that we want to hide the most from people, so imagine the embarrassment of your transgressions not only being known by everyone but on display for all to see. Upon a closer look, we see, hidden in verse 23, mercy: “his body should not remain all night.” Even the punishment here is not in excess. Adam Clarke says about this verse, “It is worthy of remark that in the infliction of punishment prescribed by the Mosaic law, we find that mercy walks hand in hand with judgment.”
In Galatians 3:13-14, Paul references these two verses. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.’ He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” Christ redeems us. We have been freed of the consequences of our faults and mistakes. We deserve to die and be cursed by God, but Jesus took our place. He traded places with us, taking the cross so that we could be welcomed into His family and forever guided by the Holy Spirit. All we have to do is believe.
Questions
- In Genesis 16 and 25:9, we see God’s treatment of Hagar and her son, Ishmael. Consider the implications Deuteronomy 21:17 has on that situation. What do God’s words reveal about His character?
- Read Luke 12:2-3. How does this remind us of the importance of confession?
- Where do you see God’s heart for protection in this chapter?
Pray This
Father,
You are a merciful and just God. You see the lost and oppressed. You hear the voices of all who cry out to You. You do not leave us where we are, but rather You have brought us out of the pit and into the light. You take the brokenness of this world and redeem it. You love us too much to leave us where we are. You made a way, sending your own Son to die in our place. We are sinful, broken people in need of Your grace and mercy; let us not forget this truth. May we be a people who fear You, overwhelmed with awe and delight for who you are. All praise be to You, the God who redeems us!
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6 thoughts on “Deuteronomy 21”
Deuteronomy 21:23 is a foreshadowing of Jesus’s death on the cross which is a pivotal act of redemption. Jesus endured the curse of sin on my/our behalf. Yes, He died for me/you! I am chosen, not forsaken, I am who You say I am. Praise God!
Playing this song on repeat from Shane & Shane https://dwvo.theworshipintiative.com/
https://devo.theworshipinitiative.com/
Justice
There always has to be justice. God shows us how all things that pertain to life and godliness is to be taken care of for the Isarelites. Because of what Jesus did by dieing and God raising Him from the dead, we no longer have to do these things but they are all for our learning.
God thank You for loving All of Your creation that You made the way for us to be reconciled with You. Thank You for Your Word and for the learning it gives us to know how and what to do or strive for in this day, in these minutes. God thank You that You do not want any to perish but all to have life forever with You in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God’s ideal was that his people live holy lives, yet he knew the depravity of the human heart and institutes laws for the inevitable sins that would be committed. His ways may seem radical and harsh, but he is always good and looking out for his chosen ones. True to his character, he doesn’t leave us in our sins but creates a way out, foreshadowing the ultimate One who became a curse for us on a tree.
15 “If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other . . .”
All these complicated rules! Just one wife paired with just one husband keeps life much simpler!
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9. Do not try to hide yourself from the Holy Spirit that dwells within you.