Deuteronomy 24 and 25
IT was indeed a hard-hearted people (see Matthew 19:8 and Mark 10:5) to whom God gave these rules. The Holy Spirit in our day has a deeper message, because of the finished work of Christ, and divorce could not now be justified among Christians on such grounds as those of this chapter.
If the people were hard of heart, God was not like them, and the greater part of this chapter speaks in kindness of the poor and defenseless, whether it were one’s brother or a hired servant, or a stranger, or an orphan, or a widow.
“Thou shalt remember,” not how great thou art, or anything of the kind, but “that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence.” (verse 18)
If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus, dear reader, do you remember often enough that you were a slave of that cruel tyrant Satan until God, in Christ, redeemed you? Turn to Ephesians 2:1-9, and read that wonderful statement, true of everyone who trusts in Jesus.
Chapter 25:3, God lays down a rule regarding punishment of wrong-doers, and in the next verse He thinks (how good and how gracious He is!) of the humble ox treading out the grain.
Verses 5-10. It was important for an earthly people that the family name should be kept up: this would have no force with a heavenly people, the Church of God. They have no proper hopes on earth, but in heaven.
Honest weights and measures are commanded in verses 13 to 16, and the enemies of God were not to be made friends of (verses 17-19). Amalek cared nothing for God, —did not fear Him and attacked the weaker ones of the flock. It is the true character of this world under the leadership of its prince and god, Satan.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in Him.” 1 John 2:15.
ML 02/08/1925