Read: Deuteronomy 21:1-22:30; Luke 9:51-10:12; Psalm 74:1-23; Proverbs 12:11
Today, we read about some of God’s laws that seem strange. They were pertinent to their time but we have to remember that they are spiritual to us. Murder had to be atoned for and the elders of the closest town were responsible. Every life is important to the Lord.
God wanted women to be honored and treated fairly. By the time Jesus came to earth, the Pharisees had added over one hundred laws against women. They believed they were inherently evil. That is why Jesus was so tender towards women. He wanted to give them back their dignity and status.
I’ll address a few of these strange laws. The one about men not wearing women’s clothing and vice versa is a picture of men taking on women’s roles and women taking on men’s roles. Men are to be the picture of God who we all submit to and women are a picture of the church which we all honor and respect. God lovingly rules and we faithfully submit.
Another strange law was that they were not to plant two kinds of seeds in their garden. Our garden is our heart and their are only two kinds of seeds. One is the Word of God and the other is the tares of the devil. When we plant both seeds we are defiling our hearts. The clothes of wool and linen are the same thing.
The rest of the chapter has to do with honoring women and making sure she is protected and justified. This is how the Lord feels about the Church.
In Luke, it was getting closer to the time Jesus was to be taken to heaven. I love that it says that rather than, it was getting closer to the time of his death. The way Luke says it is so positive. Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples to go ahead of him and prepare the hearts of the people so that when he got there, they would be ready to hear the good news. Jesus was setting a prototype. He sent them in pairs as lambs among wolves. He sends us out the same way.
Lord, may we walk in love proclaiming the good news.
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