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Deuteronomy Chapter 23 "Men
[1-16]." This
Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and it's
transcription/ location Deuteronomy 23:1 "He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord." These are laws that deal with persons both in the community and in the military. The condition of a man's physical body has nothing to do with whether a man goes to heaven or not. But this law concerns the injury that deals comes to the congregation of the Christian community of today, called the church. It is talking about taking a person and elevating him or her to a position of authority within the church. Keep in mind that within certain heathen cults and religious practices this was required to be done to themselves before they could participate in their heathen religious practices. When men took part in those heathen practices they were not to be allow to hold high offices in the congregation, for the sake of keeping God's Word and law pure. "Bruised stones" are the mash their private organs for the sake of committing ones complete self to that heathen form. So in a sense, God didn't want those that took part in such filthy sins, and committing themselves over to such a thing to ever sit over His congregation. The rest of this chapter is quite mature for the very young in mind. Deuteronomy 23:2 "A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord." Before we get into a discussion of a "bastard", it is important to understand exactly what a bastard is. The number for "bastard" in the Strong's Hebrew dictionary, is 4464, "Mamzer, mam-zare'; from the root meaning; to alienate; a mongrel, i.e., born of a Israelite father and a heathen mother, bastard." There have been lives that have been ruined because of the lack of understanding of this verse. This verse is taken from the Hebrew manuscripts, and is in reference only to the offspring of the union between a Israelite man, and a heathen or non-Israelite woman. So why would the mamzer, or bastard be put out of the camp for ten generations, when the sinful act was committed by the parents? Is God so cruel that he would pass the sins of the parents on to their children? Of course not, so there is something other than what appears on the surface here. Jeremiah 31:29 "In those days they shall say no more, `The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' " This means that the son is not accountable for the father's sins, nor the father accountable for the son's sins. However here in Deuteronomy 23:2 it is stating just the opposite, for it is stating that those action against the mamzer is to be continued for ten generation. So this goes back to the cultural or natural order of humanity. God created all the races after their kind on the sixth day, and on the eighth day he created "ha-adam", "the Adam" [the ruddy complected man], along with his wife Eve. God created all people in their own nature, and each child carries the traits of both of his or her parents. No person has to apologize for the way that they are created, for that is the law of nature. It makes no difference to anyone's race, color or creed [except that Christians should marry other Christians, of course]. How can you feel bad or resent your own people? God intended that you should take pride in your own people. We will see a much concerning this within this chapter, that God wants us to maintain the natural order of things as He has created them to be. There is absolutely no connection between mamzer and an illegitimate child. Many people in their stupidity call the illegitimate child a bastard or mamzer, and it just isn't so. An illegitimate child is a child born through a sinful act of adultery between its parents when both the parents are of the same race. That is not a sin on the child's part, but on the parents part. Yet, when this sinful act happens today, the popular move is to add murder to the adultery charge before God, by aborting the child. The taking of the innocent life of the unborn child to cover their first sin is a far greater sin. Murder is far more serious, and you will be held accountable for that act in heaven before the throne of God. People will account for their own sins, and not for the act of others. Almost all peoples on the face of the earth hold the children that are unnatural in birth to their own race to be outcasts. They keep these children apart from the rest of the population, just like the American children were in Viet Nam, the Negro mixture in America, and so on. They just do, and there is no apology necessary on the part of that child. No child with parents of two different races is illegitimate, when their parents are married and committed to each other. Deuteronomy 23:3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever:" To the person living in the congregation at the time of Moses, ten generation is forever to him. This command is not in reference to women, but to men. We know that Ruth was a Moabites and she was in the lineage of Christ. These non-Israel woman could marry a man of the Israel nations. Deuteronomy 23:4 "Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee." This is the reason that the Moabite men could not marry into the congregation. The Ammonites and Moabites were offspring of Lot, the nephew of Abraham, that fled from Sodom when God destroyed that city. These people were from the children that Lot had by his two daughters after they fled the city of Sodom. When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, and needed help and provision, it was refused them by the men of Moab, and thus it became a matter of turning your back on your own. The hiring of Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor is given in Numbers 22. The princes of Balak, of the Moabites went to Balaam and hired him to go with them to the high places of Baal worship, to Kirjath-huzoth. There Balaam observed all the people in their perverted state of Baal worship. The Moabites were trying to bring a curse on God's people by God, and using this priest of God to bring it. Then in Numbers 23 Balaam told Balak, to build him seven altars there and prepare seven oxen and seven rams to be offered to God. This was done, and "the Lord put a parable in the mouth of Balaam", which was a curse against Balak, and the Moabites. For these Moabites hired Balaam to curse their enemies the Israelites, but the Lord turned the curse back on the Moabites' heads instead. Numbers 23:11 "And Balak [the prince of the Moabites] said unto Balaam, "What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies [the Israelites], and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether." The Moabites hired an priest of Israel, a man of God to curse God's own people, but God put the parable of the curse right back on the heads of the Moabites. For this act Moses is making the statement in Deuteronomy 23:4 forbidding any Moabite men from marrying into the congregation of Israelite nations. The Moabites built the seven altars, and provided the animals for the sacrifices for the curses, and God took those things that were meant for a curse and turned them into a blessing. The ones that were trying to place the curse against another had it turn right back on their own heads. When any people try to curse and do wrong to one of God own [a Christian of no matter what race], God has a way of bringing that curse right back on their own head. This is just as true today as it was when Moses wrote it over three thousand years ago. Deuteronomy 23:5 "Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee." Deuteronomy 23:6 "Thou shalt not seek their [Moabites] peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever." God is judging people because of the interactions that they had with the people of Israel [all the tribes]. They treated the children of Israel harshly when the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, and Moses is reminding them of that treatment. This is why the order is for ten generations so that God's people would never learn to trust them ever again. It would become a tradition built into their minds forever. This has nothing to do with heaven, sin or anything else of that nature, but waking the people up and keeping them on their toes so they will not be deceived into a false trust by these peoples acts again. Remember that the man is suppose to be the head of the house, and therefore if a woman was married to a Ammorite, or Moabite man she would be subordinate to his rule, however if a man married the Moabite woman, she would be subject to His rules of the house and the laws of God. Deuteronomy 23:7 "Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land." The Edomites were the children of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob whose name was changed to Israel. The Edomites were considered next of kin to Israel. The Edomites of today are the children of "Rosh" or Russia of today, and God is telling us that we are not to hate them. Deuteronomy 23:8 "The children that are begotten of them shall shall enter into the congregation of the Lord in their third generation." God is placing a stipulation here on the marriage between an Israelite, and an Edomite, for that mixture shall be evident to the third generation, just as the mixing of races was to the tenth generation. In this marriage it would take only three generations to breed out the traits of Esau out of Israel stock. When an Israelite man married a Edomite woman, their great grandchild would lose all the traits of the of the Edomites, when that child was raised within the Israelite congregation, both physical and mental. Deuteronomy 23:9 "When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing." Now we are addressing the army and the activity within the military camps that is going out to do battle against the enemy. When the Navy, Army, Air Force, the Marines and other branches of the military go to battle, this is what they are to do to protect them. God is telling us to keep the unclean out of the military. This is very good advise for our commander-in chief at this time when conflicts are so real around the world. However it appears that he enjoys abominations all around himself, and he doesn't mind it spreading into the military. There must be an end in allowing abominations in the military for it is against God's law. Deuteronomy 23:10 "If there be among you any man, that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp, he shall not come within the camp:" If anyone is unclean that is within the camp, he must leave the camp until he becomes clean. This is why there is strict discipline for keeping a clean barracks, clean lockers, and strict discipline to self hygiene in the military. It is a matter of keeping disease and sickness out of the camp. Our military today follows this law completely no matter where the camp is, at home or abroad. Deuteronomy 23:11 "But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again." This deals when that soldier has touched something unclean, that could spread disease. Get out of the camp until you have washed yourself real good. Deuteronomy 23:12 "Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither you shalt go forth abroad:" This is dealing with the time when the military has left their home soil and has gone abroad. These strict discipline requirement are demanded no matter where you are, and they are enforce today. Deuteronomy 23:13 "And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee;" This is dealing now with when you are out in the field and you have to relieve yourself, God requires that you have a shovel to bury whatever bodily waste come from you. You dig a hole and bury it. This makes it very clear that in all matters of personal hygiene that there will be discipline amongst the troops. A fighting army must remain healthy and ready for battle if there is to be a victory. Deuteronomy 23:14 "For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that He see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee." We are a Christian nation with our military filled with Christian men and women and God is walking amongst our troops. He will give us the victory and bless our nation when we follow His instructions. It is for this reason that military men are under strict orders to follow their "codes of conduct" dealing with their talk, the dress and their actions of their personal attention. Military men and women have religious experiences because God is there walking in the camps. God is going to give us victories because He promised that He would. However, we must keep the military clean to continue to have God's blessings, instead of the cursings, which bring terrorist attacks upon our nation. We read earlier of God's orders to keep the women out of the combat units, and he will not tolerate a complete disregard of his instructions. God is the same yesterday, as He is today and will be for ever. In time we are going to pay the price for our commander-and-chief's negligence, along with the rest of our political leaders that turn their backs on God's laws. God is going to hold each man account for their part in the decision of ushering the ladies into combat duty. That will bring the fallout for disobedience. In the past our military has won wars because we have conducted our military affairs according to discipline, and with Sodomites and women in the front units, there will be a breakdown. Unfortunately in combat, you can't be fainthearted, but firm in commitment and focused in mind. Remember God said send those types home before you go to battle. Deuteronomy 23:15 "Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:" This has nothing to do with people within our own nation, but if someone of our military escapes from a military prisoner's camp and comes home, you don't take that person back into the military. He is to be released to return home. Deuteronomy 23:16 "He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him." This escaped prisoner is to be taken back into what ever community that he chooses, and that community will accept and provide for his needs. Deuteronomy 23:17 "There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a Sodomite of the sons of Israel." Remember this is still instruction given by God directly to the Military, for the sake of being blessed by God and receiving victory in war. These whores and Sodomites in the Hebrew tongue are called "qadesh, kaw-dashe'; [#6945]. "a sacred devotee (by prostitution) to licentious idolatry; Sodomy." This has to do with a "sacred whore, or a sacred Sodomite used in a religious form where it is part of heathen worship. They used temple girls and boys in their Baal worship, and this act is an abomination to the Lord. It was expected that the armies of the heathen and their Baalites did this, but not the children of the living God's army. This verse is addressing the bringing prostitution into the military camp in any form. Deteronomy 23:18 "Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God." In contrast to the previous verse, this is the bringing those whores, and homosexuals into the army and military to serve as soldiers in the army of God's people. First of all, lets go to the Strong' Hebrew Dictionary # 6945, and we see that this is not talking about dogs, nor the price of any animal, but the word is the same used above, "qadesh", "a male homosexual Sodomite". In the first case you brought the whores and homosexuals into the camp for hire, while here they become a part of you. This applies to the house of God also, for these perverts are an abomination to the Lord. This has nothing to do with those people that raise dogs for resale as a living. "The price of a dog" has to do with the position that a male prostitute takes in doing his service. This is a figure of speech, and those Sodomites that are welcomed into a church are not attending a church that has God's blessings, but a church that has God's curses. Moses is calling the male prostitute "a dog", or even lower than a dog. God wants no part of Sodomy or prostitution in the military, nor in His house of worship. Don't bring or allow Sodomites near God's house. God's Word is very clear as to how He feels about this subject and those that take part in these filthy perversions. Those people that call themselves Christians, and living in Sodomy and prostitution are an abomination to God Himself. The problem today is that sometimes those Sodomites rise to high positions of power and bring the curses upon an entire church or even a nation. If you think that you can get away with flaunting your filth in God's face and get away with your abominations, stand by and watch the curses come upon your church and nation. God's Word is complete within itself, and He is the one that is in charge. The subject is now changing from the military, to things within the community. Deuteronomy 23:19 "Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:" If your brother borrows money or anything from you, you should not charge him interest, unless he requests that you receive it from him. Deuteronomy 23:20 "Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it." However, you can charge interest to a stranger. God will see to it that you will be blessed for helping a brother without the use of usury when you assist your brother when in need. Deuteronomy 23:21 "When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee, and it would be sin in thee." There are many cases today where religious thieves [so called preachers] force people into taking vows to them in the name of God. God demands that you pay your vows to God where you are being taught, not to some beggar that feeds you a verse or two, then builds his sermons around the forcing a vow from you. It doesn't matter who you made the vow to, if you made the vow, than pay it not to a man, but to where you are receiving spiritual food. Ask yourself exactly what spiritual growth you have received there, if it is zero, then find a church that will teach you from the Word of God, and place your vow there. Deuteronomy 23:22 "But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee." God doesn't require any vows, for the vow is a commitment to a man, not to God, and requires your commitment to fulfill that vow if you make it. So the best practice is to not make the vow in the first place. You have the tithe to give and that tithe belongs to God, for the "love offering" to the pastor, or some other obligation that God lays on your heart. He does not expect you to make any vow. However when you get to emotionally involved with some beggar, you can get drawn into such an act. There is no sin when you practice not making any vows, for tithes and love offerings are not vows but they are gifts based on the blessings that God has already given to you. Why vow to give a blessing to someone, just do it. Deuteronomy 23:23 "That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth." If you make a vow to someone God expects you to keep that promise. If you promise a neighbor some time or help, God expects you to follow through to the best of your ability. It doesn't matter if you give your word to someone, make that word a bonding contract that they know that your words are truth. Most of the time words written on paper are simply not worth the paper it is written on. Keep your reputation clean in your community, for that is what causes many people to listen to what you have to say about God's Word. The most important thing is to be honest with yourself, and there is a freedom that will come, in that others will also appreciate you. Guard your words before they come out of your mouth, and than live by those words once you have spoken them. Deuteronomy 23:24 "When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but hou shalt not put any in thy vessel." At the time of this writing, Moses and the Israelites were finishing a forty year walk through the wilderness, and the corner cafe just wasn't around. This is direct to those travelers that are walking in the countryside, and getting very hungry. This gives you the right to stop in a vineyard and take a hand full of grapes to eat, and then be on your way. It gives the right to fill your stomach, but not take more than you are able to eat at that time. That is where the line is drawn. Deuteronomy 23:25 "When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn." God is saying that you can eat to your fill, but don't you put a harvest to your neighbor's corn or field. Your neighbor planted and maintained the crop, and God allows him to get the full value for his work. However when a hungry person passes by, God expect the owner to allow for the hungry and needy, and in turn He will bless the owner of the field. This falls right in line with the gleaning ordinances where the poor had the right to take the leftovers from the field after the harvest. It should still be in affect, however most farmers give readily to needy causes when they come to their attention. Our Father's Word will always give us the best advice and when we follow it, God will bless us for our commitment to His Word.
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