This chapter continues with more laws. We need to remember that the Bible was not originally divided up into chapters and verses, this was done much more recently to help us with bite-sized portions. Sometimes it seems that the divide of chapters is perhaps not exactly correct, but this should not deter us from reading and studying it.
Verses 1-3 take us into the law courts where I spent over 40 years of my working life. The judges were to preside over disputes and were responsible justifying the righteous and condemning the wicked, in other words convicting the guilty but acquitting the innocent. This is precisely what the Apostle Paul reiterates in Romans 13:4 describing the role of authorities and governments – “For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.”
God is absolute in His justice, and He laid down that some people deserve to be punished. In our so-called more enlightened society, there are some who would say that we should not punish people, they call it ‘reform’ as though we know better than God. I am not saying that we should be cruel and fail to treat people humanely, but we need to be strict when it is called for. We need to recognise that some people are evil and need to be punished. However, justice is required, and God lays down the need for witnesses and truth. Without those our justice system will fall down. Especially if we try to cut corners. I’m sure that you agree that there are evil and dangerous people, and they must be dealt with appropriately, if nothing else but to protect the innocent.
God says that the judge must cause the wicked person to take his punishment, if you will pardon the pun, ‘lying down’. However, the punishment must be measured against the guilt of the person and not exceeded. The judge was to oversee the punishment to ensure that it was not exceeded.
It is said that the Jews used to administer 39 (40 minus 1) in case they miscounted. The Apostle Paul said (2 Corinthians 11:24) that he had received 39 stripes (blows) on five occasions, most, if not all, for preaching the Gospel.
Not only were law breakers protected by justice, but even animals. Some people seem to care more about animals than people and some don’t care about animals at all. They were not to muzzle an ox while it treads the grain (v4). Grain was in some form of pit or storage container and the ox would walk on it, often going round in a circle and fastened to a beam. It would be cruel to say the ox couldn’t eat some of the grain as it trod it. I often say it when I’m cutting the meat for Sunday lunch. They were not to muzzle the animal so that it couldn’t eat. Paul uses the phrase when applying it to a minister’s right to be supported by his congregation in 1 Corinthians 9:9 and 1 Timothy 5:18.
Back to the family – where brothers dwell together and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the one who has died was not to be married to a stranger (v5-10). The husband’s brother was to take her as wife and the firstborn son (child) of their relationship will carry the name of the dead brother to perpetuate the name in Israel. However, if the brother does not want to do this, the widow must go to the gate of the city to the elders and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to raise up a name to his brother in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.”
This is to enable the inheritance to be passed to the child. If there was no son, a daughter could receive the inheritance in accordance with Numbers 27:1-8.
If the surviving brother refuses, the elders shall speak to him, but if he still refuses, the widow shall come to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal, spit in his face and say, “So shall it be done to the man who will not build up his brother’s house.” And his name shall be called in Israel, “The house of him who had his sandal removed.” This was a call of shame in Israel.
We had a similar situation in the book of Ruth where Boaz became her ‘kinsman redeemer’. Whilst there was no brother in that case, he was the closest relative after the closer one refused.
If two men fight with each other and the wife of one comes to her husband’s rescue (v11,12). If she grabs the other man by his genitals, they must cut off her hand. This seems very severe, but it may be in connection with privacy and modesty and interfering with a man’s reproductive organs.
Much easier to understand is the next instruction which is to do with justice and honesty. It was to do with perfect weights and measures. To use differing and unjust weights and measures was dishonouring to God and something which He hated (v13-16).
None of us like to be ‘diddled’ when we buy something, we want to get exactly what we pay for, and God does also.
Finally, God instructed them to destroy the Amalekites (v17-19). In Exodus 17 they had attacked Israel by attacking the stragglers, who were tired and weary at the back of the company as they were travelling from Egypt to the Promised Land. Joshua had led the battle while Moses prayed and Aaron and Hur held up his arms before God, because when his arms were up, Israel succeeded but when they drooped, Amalek succeeded, thus Moses needed help to hold up his hands before God.
The Amalekites did not fear God and He told the Israelites that when they entered the land and had settled there, they were to blot out the remembrance of the Amalekites. It was some 400 years later that God told King Saul to attack the Amalekites, but he failed in his duty, and this led to Saul’s downfall (See 1 Samuel 15 and 28).
