Burunche’s Blog

Deuteronomy 23:1 – 7 “No man with crushed or severed genitals may enter the assembly of the LORD. No one of illegitimate birth may enter the assembly of the LORD, nor may any of his descendants, even to the tenth generation. No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even to the tenth generation. For they did not meet you with food and water on your way out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram-naharaima to curse you. Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you. You are not to seek peace or prosperity from them as long as you live.

Do not despise an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you lived as a foreigner in his land. The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the LORD.”

At first, these restrictions sound very harsh, but the key question is the meaning of the term “assembly of the Lord.” Several different sources feel that these commands are not forbidding eunuchs from worshiping God; in fact, there are several instances in which eunuchs in the Bible are commended for their faith. Here the term “assembly” refers to leadership in a political entity, and leadership is related to the ability of a man to generate offspring to succeed him. Many times, those who had been castrated might have originally undergone such a procedure in a pagan temple, being dedicated to a pagan god at the same time.

The question regarding illegitimate birth is also a thorny one. Again, the purpose of this command is to bar anyone who might have divided loyalties from occupying a position of leadership. In case of war, the last thing a nation needs is a leader who owes allegiance to the enemy.

What about the Ammonites and the Moabites? When the Israelites were nearing the end of their wanderings, they were to pass through the nations of the Ammonites and the Moabites. Both nations refused to even give food or water and the Moabites hired Balaam the Seer to curse the Israelites. The attempt at cursing turned out to be a big mistake; God forced Balaam to bless Israel instead. Numbers 24:18 -23 says,
“Arise, O Balak, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Zippor.

God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.

He considers no disaster for Jacob; He sees no trouble for Israel.

The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.

God brought them out of Egypt with strength like a wild ox.

For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel.

It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’

What about the Edomites and the Egyptians? Even though the Edomites refused to five the Israelites food and water, they were still relatives because they were descended from Esau. Egypt had served as a refuge for the Israelites and a place where they grew from a single family with 70 members to a nation.

APPLICATION: At first we might wonder what these commands have to do with us. The main theme for us is the issue of divided loyalties and compromise. God was commanding the Israelites to make sure that any leaders they selected would be whole hearted in their support, without any cultural ties to another nation such as the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, etc.

We live in an age when loyalty seems to be very rare. Leaders in several fields appear willing to compromise for the sake of political correctness, whether or not a stance is morally correct. Too many times people have followed leaders only to find themselves being “thrown under the bus,” as sacrifices when expedient.

The late theologian Francis Schaeffer wrote a book entitled How Shall We Then Live? The question raised by that title is one each of us must face. Proverbs 4:23 tells us, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring all the issues of life.” Other translations say, “Guard your heart.” As we end 2021, let us examine our hearts. If we have compromised, let us confess that sin to God and ask Him to help us be true to Him.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to be true to You and not to compromise, even when we are under pressure to do so. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

This entry was posted on December 26, 2021 at 12:01 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.