Deuteronomy 25:1 – 4 “If there is a dispute between men, they are to go to court to be judged, so that the innocent may be acquitted and the guilty condemned.
If the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall have him lie down and be flogged in his presence with the number of lashes his crime deserves. He may receive no more than forty lashes, lest your brother be beaten any more than that and be degraded in your sight.
Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”
This time Shmuel had really done it! For months, Shmuel’s neighbor Abram had suspected that Shmuel was stealing from him. This time Abram caught Shmuel red handed as Shmuel tried to steal grain. Now Shmuel stood before the judge. When found guilty, Shmuel was flogged 30 times in the courtroom. Shmuel was fortunate because Abram was angry enough to have beaten Shmuel to a bloody pulp. Those in the courtroom witnessed Shmuel’s punishment and the ensuing embarrassment; they were also witnesses to protect Shmuel from Abram’s wrath.
Pity any ox whose owner would muzzle it as it treaded grain to thresh it! The ox would spend the entire day smelling the grain but being unable to eat any of it! Here God’s compassion even extends to oxen as He orders the Israelites to allow the ox to eat some of the grain it is threshing. Why should God care so much about a dumb animal?
Those who fail to care for animals will also fail to care for humans. Police profilers know that any child who tortures animals or insects is likely to graduate to torturing or killing humans later.
Yet another reason for not muzzling an ox while it is working is this: How is the ox supposed to drink water with that muzzle on? If the ox is working in strong sunlight in the heat of the day without any water, the ox may collapse and die. No. Muzzling an ox is false economy.
Deuteronomy 25:5 – 10 “When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her. The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. But if the man does not want to marry his brother’s widow, she is to go to the elders at the city gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel. He is not willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me.”
Then the elders of his city shall summon him and speak with him. If he persists and says, “I do not want to marry her,” his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal, spit in his face, and declare, “This is what is done to the man who will not maintain his brother’s line.” And his family name in Israel will be called “The House of the Unsandaled.”
Land inheritance was critically important, so important that if a man died without a son to inherit from him, the widow was to marry the man’s brother so that the brother could father a child on behalf of his dead brother. Any man unwilling to do this kindness for his dead brother would find the term “Unsandaled” added to his family name!
Some tribes in Ghana have similar customs; however, such arrangements may be very dangerous. In one case, a man who was to marry his late brother’s wife tried to kill her by smashing a large cooking pot into her head. The lady survived, and we counseled her to leave this dangerous situation. Unfortunately, the father – in – law was a local chief who was more worried about his standing in the community than in anything else. The father – in – law insisted that the women return to her brother – in – law. One week later, the brother – in – law killed the woman and attempted to murder other members of her family as well. The shame the old chief suffered from these acts was far worse than that he would have suffered had he allowed the woman to leave his household. And the son was tried and hanged for murder.
Deuteronomy 25:11 – 12 “If two men are fighting, and the wife of one steps in to rescue her husband from the one striking him, and she reaches out her hand and grabs his genitals, you are to cut off her hand. You must show her no pity.” In this case, the woman is threatening to emasculate her husband’s opponent, thereby making it impossible for him to father children. (This lady is probably attempting to rip out the testicles, not merely to touch them.) This punishment seems unduly harsh; however, the underlying principle is that of protecting the ability of a man to continue his line.
APPLICATION: Throughout these verses run the twin themes of justice and compassion. Wrong – doers are only to receive the punishment that fits the crime. Oxen are allowed to take small amounts of grain while treading the grain. Brothers are to ensure that the name of a late relative does not die out in Israel. And women are not to attempt to rescue their husbands by tearing out the testicles of their husband’s opponent in a fight. While cutting off the woman’s hand might seem excessive, it is likely that any lesser penalty might encourage some women to go ahead and complete an orchidectomy without anesthesia.
As we begin a new year, let us begin by being compassionate to those around us. Let us also forgive those who have wronged us, rather than seeking ways and means of punishing them. Remember that when you harbor unforgiveness in your heart and mind, you are only hurting yourself and not anyone else.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to follow You as closely as possible this year. Help us to forgive those who have hurt us, so that we are not dragging resentment behind us. And help us to have compassion for all those around us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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