Vows and Vowing: Dt 23:21-23

"When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the Lord your God will surely require it of you. However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you. You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God, what you have promised." (Deuteronomy 23:21-23)

I remember my grandmother telling the story of a time when she was called to testify in court. As she took the stand, the bailiff approached and asked her to place her hand on the Bible and asked, "Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" She simply responded, "I affirm." The bailiff, who had obviously never heard such a response, looked puzzled and wondered if such a response was to be allowed. The judge, however, who knew my grandmother to be a Christian, informed the bailiff that swearing was against her Christian faith and that it was sufficient for her to simply affirm to tell the truth without being required to swear or invoke and oath. My grandmother fully believed what Jesus had said,

"Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, 'You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.' But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil." (Matthew 5:33-37)

We have all hear stories of those who, during times of great distress and danger, made vows and promises to God, to serve Him if only He would save them and preserve them from their distress, and whom, only later, after being delivered from their danger, forgot all about their vows and failed to fulfilled their promises to God. James, echoing Jesus' words, warns us of the consequences of false vows saying, "But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment." (James 5:12) When we fail in our vows and promises to God we fall under the judgment of God.

In today's culture, we do not have the same reverence and understanding of vowing as the ancients once did, but God takes the words we speak very seriously, and God expects us to fulfill all the vows and and promises that escape our lips. Jesus warns us that we shall stand in judgment for every word we speak. "But I say unto you, that every idle word which men shall say, they shall render an account of it in judgment-day: for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37 Darby) God hears every word we speak and takes note of all our vows and promises. He remembers our words and the judgments we impose upon ourselves should we ever fail to keep our words. This is why Jesus counsels us to "make no oaths at all."

When we are tempted to go beyond a simple "Yes" or "No", it is not God who is tempting us, but such motivation "is of evil." Such swearing often proceeds from a proud and presumptuous heart. The same kind of heart that James was referring to when he said,

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.' But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil." (James 4:13-17)

When it comes to tomorrow, we are not the masters of our own fate and we are powerless to determine and direct the course of future events. Worse yet, history has shown us that we, as humans, are very bad at keeping covenant and fulfilling our promises. When we swear and take oaths, it is often the result of seeing ourselves too highly then we ought, and it is this pride and presumption that leads us into judgment over our unfulfilled vows and promises. Jesus' counsel is for us to remember that we are but men and, in all humility, to let our conversation be simply "Yes" and "No" and to leave the promising up God.

David Robison

vows, promises, swear, David Robison, Book of Deuteronomy The Robe

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Lending to the poor: Dt 23:19-20

"You shall not charge interest to your countrymen: interest on money, food, or anything that may be loaned at interest. You may charge interest to a foreigner, but to your countrymen you shall not charge interest, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land which you are about to enter to possess." (Deuteronomy 23:19-20)

God's rules on lending without usury apply primarily to lending to the poor. These rules do not, however, forbid the lending of money as an investment in some business venture or lending for a commercial desire rather than an absolute need, for example lending money for a car, a house, or some other purchase. God is here primarily concerned with our treatment of and response to the poor. "If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest." (Ex 22:25) "He who increases his wealth by interest and usury gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor." (Proverbs 28:8)

The Hebrew term translated here as "loaned at interest" is an interesting word. It literally means to strike with a sting or to bite. It is the same word used to describe the bites of the serpents send to punish the nation of Israel while they were in the desert. "The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died." (Numbers 21:6) The term here for "they bit" is the same word used for "loaned at interest". It is God's intention that we pity the poor rather than see them as an opportunity for gain. God desires us to have hearts of compassion, hearts that reach out to help those in need, hearts that think of other more than ourselves and how we might be increased. God identifies with the poor and, when we lend to the poor, it is as if we are lending to Him. "One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed." (Proverbs 19:17)

David Robison

poor, lend, usury, The Robe, David Robison, Book of Deuteronomy

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Fugitive slave laws: Dt 23:15-16

"You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. He shall live with you in your midst, in the place which he shall choose in one of your towns where it pleases him; you shall not mistreat him." (Deuteronomy 23:15-16)

As we say earlier, the Jews were required to watch after and return anything which they might find that belonged to their neighbor. "You shall not see your countryman's ox or his sheep straying away, and pay no attention to them; you shall certainly bring them back to your countryman." (Deuteronomy 22:1) The scriptures over and over validates the right of personal property. A person's property belongs to them and to take it, or to hide it when it is found, is the very definition of stealing. God commands us to respect the property of others and to return to them whatever might have been lost by them.

What is at issue in this scripture is whether or not a master's "slave" is his "property". God makes a distinction between the "ownership" of human souls that the owning of other forms of "property". Human slaves are not to be perceived as "property" and as such, should a slave escape his master, he was not to be returned to his former "owner" but left to live among those to whom he escaped, in what every place he should please.

In the early history of my country, there was a law called the "Fugitive Slave Act" which required runaway slaves to be returned to their owners. Even if the slave should make their way into a "free state" they were required by federal law to be returned to their "slave state" and to their master. Slaves were property and as such must be returned to their lawful owners. Even the rulings of our Supreme Court in that time validated and upheld these views and established the "justness" of such laws. The fate of fugitive slaves became a contentious issue between the north and south and was a contributing factor to the war between the states. How much pain, misery, and death could have been avoided had this godly principal been universal in the hearts of men, that men and women cannot and should never be taken as property.

David Robison

slavery, fugitive, The Robe, Book of Deuteronomy, Foundation of Governance, David Robison

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The price of His abiding: Dt: 23:1-14

"No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord. No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the Lord; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly of the Lord. No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the Lord; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the Lord." (Deuteronomy 23:1-3)

In the assembly of the Israelite, there was only room for the pure, perfect, and pedigreed. Those with defects, illegitimate birth, or incorrect ancestry were excluded. Unless you were perfect, you were not accepted and were forced to dwell separated from the people of God and from the God of the people of God. Moreover, if you were one of the fortunate ones to be counted acceptable, there were times when you too would be forced "outside the camp" to wait out your times of impurity or uncleanness. Such uncleanness could be caused by sickness, touching something unclean (like a dead body), or some impure bodily emission.

"If there is among you any man who is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he must go outside the camp; he may not reenter the camp. But it shall be when evening approaches, he shall bathe himself with water, and at sundown he may reenter the camp." (Deuteronomy 23:10-11)

Everything inside the camp had to be pure, spotless, and without blemish or defect. So strict was God regarding their conduct within the camp, and the condition of the camp, that He even provided them rules regarding how they were to relieve themselves.

"You shall also have a place outside the camp and go out there, and you shall have a spade among your tools, and it shall be when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and shall turn to cover up your excrement." (Deuteronomy 23:12-13)

Many of these commandments may seem to us to be extreme, extracting, and fastidious but they are the price of having the presence of God abiding in your midst.

"Since the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to defeat your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy; and He must not see anything indecent among you or He will turn away from you." (Deuteronomy 23:13)

God is pure, holey, and perfect and he can only dwell in a place and with a people who are also pure, holy, and perfect. These commandments from God represent the minimum requirements necessary for God's presence to be able to abide in our midst. Without perfection, God's presence will either turn away from us or be a fire to consume us. "Sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling has seized the godless. Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?" (Isaiah 33:14)

Under the Mosaic covenant, fellowship with God was dependent upon one keeping the law of God. "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully." (Psalms 24:3-4) Without keeping the law you could not approach God nor could His presence abide with or in you. "You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy." (Leviticus 19:2)

Fortunately, Jesus came to declare good news to us. That acceptance with God was to be made available, not by keeping the law, but rather by believing upon Jesus and trusting in the finished work of atonement which Jesus accomplished upon the cross. An acceptance that is by faith rather than by works. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13) Through faith in Christ we can have fellowship with God and He will come and make His abode in us. "My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him." (John 14:23) No more is the requirement perfection, but faith. God has called all to come to Him by faith, even the broken, hurting, defective, weak, and illegitimate. All are welcome in Christ, all are invited back to fellowship with God. We are all sinners, we are all fallen, and we are all invited. "Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

David Robison

law, grace, reconciliation, faith, The Robe, Book of Deuteronomy, David Robison

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Government and Sex: Dt 22:13-30

"But if in the field the man finds the girl who is engaged, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lies with her shall die." (Deuteronomy 22:25)

God's primary intentions in establishing laws pertaining to sexual behavior is not to regulate sexual behavior but rather to provide protection and recourse to those who might be violated or defrauded by the sexual behavior of others. God's laws on sex are designed to protect rather than regulate. Primarily, there are two classes of people that these laws seeks to protect. First are those who would be violated by the unwanted and unsolicited sexual advances and behavior of others. This would include rape, incest, and sexual harassment. Secondly are those who would be defrauded by another sexual behavior. This primarily includes adultery and infidelity. In these cases, the government has an interest to provide for both protections and recourse for those who are sexually violated or defrauded by others; to protect the innocent rather than regulate the consenting.

David Robison

sex, marriage, Book of Deuteronomy, The Robe, David Robison

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God and Sex: Dt 22:13-30

"If any man takes a wife and goes in to her..." (Deuteronomy 22:13)

At various times, both society and the church has looked upon sex as something carnal, dirty, base, and only one step away from sin. At other times, sex has been viewed as something rather casual and almost recreational. However, neither of these views has been God's perspective on sex. God both created and blessed sex. In the very beginning He ordained that couples should be joined together and become one though the act of sex. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24) The Hebrew literally says that the man and wife should "cleave" to one another. Paul further helps us to understand exactly what God meant by this command. "Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, 'The two shall become one flesh.'" (1 Corinthians 6:16) God created, and created us for, sex. However, God has designed that sex should only be enjoyed in the confines of the covenant of marriage. In this passage, God reveals some of His wisdom, design, and purpose for sex. Here are but a few.

Virginity is a gift given only once. "I took this woman, but when I came near her, I did not find her a virgin." (Deuteronomy 22:14) In some part of society today, virginity is seen as something odd and an indication that something might be wrong with someone. We often see in the entertainment media where those who are virgins are mocked and those whom exploit others sexually are venerated, but our virginity is precious to God. God even speaks of "My virgins." (Lamentations 1:18) One of the greatest gifts we can give to each other in marriage is our virginity, but it is a gift that can only be given once. The world may not highly value our virginity, but God does, and He wants us to see it as something precious, something worth keeping, protecting, and saving for the one with whom we will live "till death do us part."

Sex is never casual. "The men of her city shall stone her to death because she has committed an act of folly in Israel by playing the harlot in her father's house." (Deuteronomy 22:21) The Hebrew word for folly means "stupid, vile, foolish, and folly". It speaks of the behavior that does not befit the wise, prudent, and righteous. Sex is serious and important to God. He did not create us to engage casually in sex; partaking in sex with nondescript partners for the mere purpose of satisfying a physical desire or need. To live in such a way is pure folly. Sex is special, and as such, God has committed it to the confines of marriage; to be enjoyed by those who, in a covenant of marriage, are committed to the mutual pleasure and satisfaction of one another.

Sex is exclusive. "If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die." (Deuteronomy 22:22) What makes sex so powerful is, in part, that it is exclusive and is done in secret. Intimacy grows out of shared secrets and one's secret sex life with their spouse is one such shared secret that causes two to become one. When others are let into this secret place, oneness in a marriage is destroyed. That same force that brought oneness will divide when the relationship is no longer exclusive. This is why Paul commands, "Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge." (Hebrews 13:3)

Sex carries responsibility. "Then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife." (Deuteronomy 22:29) Part of what makes sex so special is the covenant out of which it grows. When sex is motivated by a selfish heart, then it seeks only its own desires and pleasures. Sex becomes something we do for ourselves and not for our partner; it becomes self-serving and degrades our partner to a mere object. However, when sex is the result of each others love for one another, a love that seeks to give and serve the needs and desires of another, then sex becomes a mutual expression of love; something we do for each other. The beauty of sex extends beyond the actual physical act of love, it encompasses all we do and say, and is enhanced by even the smallest acts of kindness shown to one another. Sex blooms out of the care, protection, and provision we demonstrate one to another. "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her." (Ephesians 5:25)

David Robison

love, sex, marriage, Book of Deuteronomy, The Robe, David Robison

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A desire to stay free: Antiquities 3.1.4 vs 19

"That they ought to reason thus: that God delays to assist them, not because he has no regard to them, but because he will first try their fortitude, and the pleasure they take in their freedom." Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews. 3.5.4 vs 19

It is not often that I cite secular sources in this blog and, in this case, I am not seeking to elevate the writings of Josephus to those of scripture, yet in this passage Josephus makes some interesting observations about the Israelites departure from Egypt. When I've read the story of Israel's exodus, I have always concerned myself with how the Jews relationship with God must have changed as a result of His miraculous deliverance which He worked on their behalf. However, Josephus, as a first century Jewish historian, writes not of their relationship with God but of their new found freedom; a freedom that was physical, civil, and political. As such, Josephus sees the purpose of the trials they endured in the wilderness as a test of their desire to be free, not merely a test of their love for God. Whether or not this is the case in this instance, Josephus brings up a significant point when he refers to the "pleasure" in being free, and it has some important lessons for us who have found freedom in Christ.

While freedom is never cheep, often its price is paid by others on the behalf of those who are enslaved. In the case of the Jews, their freedom from Egypt did not cost them much personally, but it did require the death of countless sheep whose blood was to be shed and placed on the doorposts of every Jewish home. So to, our freedom in Christ was not the result of any labor, effort, or act of our own, it was purchased entirely by the offering of Jesus upon the cross; His death purchased our freedom. However, while freedom is sometimes obtained with minimal personal cost, it is rarely maintained without personal involvement, cost, and often sacrifice. Because of this, after having first become free and subsequently facing the trials and struggles to remain free, we are often faced with the temptation to surrender our freedom and return to a life of captivity. This was continually the case for the Israelites.

"The rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, 'Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna... Oh that someone would give us meat to eat! For we were well-off in Egypt... Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?' So they said to one another, 'Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.'" (Numbers 11:4-6, 18, 14:2-4)

When faced with difficulties, many in Israel desired to return to their land of bondage; to return to Egypt. Our fight to stay free is often a battle to choose between comfort and liberty; to chose from a life of ease, though it may include bondage, and a life of trials and struggles, even though accompanied with freedom. We see this in the history of the Jews and we see it even in our own modern history. In my country, many have become willing to surrender their personal freedoms for the security and ease of a cradle-to-grave "protection" promised by the government. We also see this temptation in the christian life. Once having become free, we can easily fall pray to the temptations of the world, the promise of ease and comfort, but also the shackles of sin and unrighteousness.

"But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain. It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 4:9-11, 5:1)

It is one thing to be set free, it is another to remain free. I think Josephus was right, that sometimes our trials and tribulations are, at least in part, meant to test the firmness of our fortitude and our desire to be free. Do we really desire the freedom that is found in a life lived in Christ, or are we willing to settle for ease and comfort? Paul was clear, if we desire to go back, there will always be opportunity. "And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return." (Hebrews 11:14-16) However, if we desire a life of freedom in Christ, then there is grace to overcome the trials of life and to walk in the pathway of freedom.

"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word." (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

David Robison

Josephus, freedom, bondage, The Robe, David Robison

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Tassels? Dt 22:12

"You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself." (Deuteronomy 22:12)

I love when you are reading along in the Bible and all of a sudden God says something completely out of the blue, like "Don't forget to put tassels to your clothes." Like, where did that come from? Fortunately, we have the whole of scriptures to explain such passages.

"Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God." (Numbers 15:38-40)

The tassels were simply a mnemonic device to help the children of Israel remember the Lord and their covenant with Him. Everyday when they got dressed, they would remember. As they walked through out the day, the tassels were a constant reminder. Even as they got undressed at the end of the day, the tassels would remind them. There were to be reminded that God was their God and they were to be His people. In this new covenant in which we live, God has given us two things to help us remember Him.

"These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." (John 14:25-26)

God has given us His Holy Spirit to remind us of Jesus and His words. The Holy Spirit is not like a mere angle, simply a messenger from God, but He is God Himself and has comes to live and abide in our hearts. As we grow in our fellowship with the Holy Spirit so will our knowledge and understand of God grow and become increasingly fruitful. In difficult times we will find ourselves being reminded of the love of God, of His promises, and of His power in our lives. As we face difficult decisions in our lives we will be reminded of His word and instructed by His council. The Holy Spirit has come, in part, to remind us of Christ. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you." (John 16:14)

"This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (Luke 22:19)

The early disciples regularly partook of the Lord's Supper. "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart." (Acts 2:42, 46) The Lord's table was more than a sacrament to them, it was a remembrance of Jesus and His finished work on the cross. The breaking of bread also represented the one body to which they all belonged. "Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread." (1 Corinthians 10:16-17) The history of the New Testament church is a history of community. The New Testament church was communal in it lifestyle and its relationships with one another. As we fellowship with His body, we are also reminded of Him. In our Christian walk we are not only called into fellowship with God but also with His body. Both are needed to live a life that is filled with the remembrance of God.

David Robison

fellowship, body, remembrance, The Robe, David Robison, Book of Deuteronomy

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God abhors mixture Dt 22:9-11

"You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, or all the produce of the seed which you have sown and the increase of the vineyard will become defiled. You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. You shall not wear a material mixed of wool and linen together." (Deuteronomy 22:9-11)

As I write this, I am wearing clothes that are made of a cotton blend and, even in light of this scripture, I feel no guilt or condemnation. This injunction of scripture has less to do with seeds, plowing, and clothing than it does with teaching us to live a life of purity. God was trying to teach His people that mixture in their lives would defile and diminish them. The Kingdom of God is a kingdom of purity and those who live it should live pure lives of devotion and fidelity to God. God, in this scripture, identifies three areas in our lives where we should seek to live in purity.

Sowing: The scripture often depicts the Word of God as seed. "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God." (Luke 8:11) "for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God." (1 Peter 1:23) The seed is God's word and the soil is our heart. God warns us about sowing different kinds of seed into our heart; the seed of God, being His word, and the seed of the world, being the lies and deception of this present evil age. Christianity is not an eclectic religion, where we are free to pick and choose from various beliefs, philosophies, and faiths; building a religion that "fits" us. Rather, we are called to live by the Word of God; to build our lives upon His word and live as if we really believe it to be true. When we live our lives by His word, His truth sets us free. Everything else is a precipitous slope into slavery. "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8)

Plowing: Sometimes we fall into the trap of trying to "help" God. We try to help God achieve His purpose by applying our own wisdom, strength, and ability. We often start out in the Spirit but end up in the flesh. Paul warns us against decreasing in our dependence on God and increasing in our reliance upon ourselves. "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:3) The truth is that we cannot live in the Kingdom of God by our own strength. We can only live by the power and grace that God so richly supplies to us. Through Christ we can do all things, but through ourselves we only fail. There was an occasion where Peter exhibited this mixture of Spirit and flesh in his walk before God. Paul rebuked Peter to his face. "But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, 'If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified." (Galatians 2:9-11)

Clothing: In revelations, clothes are a figure of our behavior, specifically, our righteousness. "It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." (Revelation 19:8) During the captivity of Israel, the king of Assyria settles some of the captives of the nations into Samaria. These people worshiped their pagan Gods. Therefore God sent among them lions to judge them. "At the beginning of their living there, they did not fear the Lord; therefore the Lord sent lions among them which killed some of them." (2 Kings 17:25) So the people petitioned the king of Assyria and he sent them some of the priests that had been taken captive from Israel to live in Samaria and to teach them God's ways. However, while they served God, they continued to serve their idols. "They feared the Lord and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile." (2 Kings 17:33) Our worship of God cannot be halfhearted. We cannot serve God and the world at the same time. Jesus warned us of this when He said, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." (Matthew 6:24)

David Robison

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Roofs, railings, and personal liability Dt 22:8

"When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you will not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone falls from it." (Deuteronomy 22:8)

I am continually amazed at the level of detail for which God cares about our lives. Bloodguilt is not only the result of determined actions, such as murder, but is also imputed in cases of negligence, where injury is the result of the failure of someone to take reasonable precautions against harm and injury to others. Specifically, in this scripture God warns home owners that, if they are going to invite their guests up to their roof, they should install a railing to prevent them from carelessly falling off the roof. When considering good government, two conclusions can be drawn from this scripture.

1) It is reasonable to hold people liable for harm and injury to others when they have failed to take reasonable precautions to prevent injury.
2) It is reasonable for government to set minimal safety standards to prevent unintentioned injury to others.

David Robison

government, personal injury, liability, The Robe, David Robison, Book of Deuteronomy, Foundations of Governance

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