Deuteronomy 23:15 – 25 “Do not return a slave to his master if he has taken refuge with you. Let him live among you wherever he chooses, in the town of his pleasing. Do not oppress him.
No daughter or son of Israel is to be a cult prostitute. You must not bring the wages of a prostitute, whether female or male, into the house of the LORD your God to fulfill any vow, because both are detestable to the LORD your God.
Do not charge your brother interest on money, food, or any other type of loan. You may charge a foreigner interest, but not your brother, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything to which you put your hand in the land that you are entering to possess.
If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to keep it, because He will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty of sin. Be careful to follow through on what comes from your lips, because you have freely vowed to the LORD your God with your own mouth.
When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, but you must not put any in your basket.
When you enter your neighbor’s grainfield, you may pluck the heads of grain with your hand, but you must not put a sickle to your neighbor’s grain.”
What do escaped slaves, cult prostitutes, money lending, sacred vows, and snacking from a neighbor’s farm have in common? The common threads here are righteousness, compassion, and holiness.
God never approved of slavery; however, He recognized it as a reality and made provision for it. God wanted His people to be holy; cult prostitution involved men and women stationed at temples to have sex with worshipers as a form of homage to a particular pagan deity. Cult prostitution was one of the horrors of the pagan religions practiced by surrounding tribes. Why would anybody choose to be a cult prostitute in the first place? Perhaps it might be the lure of exotic costumes, free sex, or money. But God wants His people to realize that the day any of them chooses to become a prostitute in a heathen temple, such a person has become detestable, and any wages they have gained cannot be used as an offering to Him.
God wanted the Israelites to treat one another as brothers and sisters, lending freely without interest. Not only did this command reinforce compassion, but it also helped bind the Israelites together. Later on, when things deteriorated spiritually, the Israelites did charge interest, and God sent prophets to warn them to stop. (Ezekiel 22:12 gives one example.)
God wanted His people to take any vows they made seriously and not to change their minds later. (Ask any pastor who has received promises from parishioners during a stewardship campaign how many of those promising actually follow through!)
In ancient times, travelers were allowed to eat grapes or to pick grain from a farm when they were hungry. Jesus and his disciples did this on a Sabbath and got criticized for working on the Sabbath; that’s when Jesus replied that “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) But God wants to make sure that someone doesn’t use this generous custom to take advantage and clean out a vineyard or a farm!
APPLICATION: It was one of the strangest dreams I have ever had. In my home part of the Middle West, my mother pointed out an old house that had once been used as a station on the “Underground Railway,” the informal system for smuggling escaped slaves up to Canada where they would be safe and free. That night I dreamt that I was in the basement of that house, and I saw the secret rooms where the slaves were hidden until they could get transport on to the next point of safety. My husband is from a part of New York State close to Canada; in his home town there are still several houses that were stations on the Underground Railway. Those living in these houses risked a great deal, but they were passionately committed to see escaped slaves reach freedom.
We have worked in Ghana for most of the last 33 years. When I see old photos of slaves, I see familiar faces, the faces of some of my dearest friends. The idea that anyone could have suffered so is abhorrent. At the time slavery existed, there were those who argued that slavery was a biblical institution; however, if God had approved of slavery, he would not have ordered the Israelites to shelter escaped slaves.
Throughout these verses, the twin themes are those of compassion and holiness. God had definite standards for His people so that they would be different from all the other nations around them. God was always interested in the entire world; He wanted Israel to be a shining light to the rest of the nations and not to descend into wicked and idolatrous practices.
God wants our lives to shine with His holiness, His compassion, His goodness, and His grace. Every parent at some time or other hears the phrase, “But everybody’s doing it.” And every good parent knows the reply, “But you are MY child, and I say no!” God wants His children to be different from those around them so that others will see His light in their lives and be attracted to Him.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to be compassionate to those around us. Help us to turn away from any practice that would disgrace Your Name. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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