Community and Family

Deuteronomy 22

Do you have a close network of friends and family? This would be a network of people that help each other out and look out for one another. One of the coolest things working at a church is the family atmosphere. We look out for each other. If there is a need or a place where we can help, the position is filled and the body of Christ is working together.

In this chapter of Deuteronomy we see the community effort on how everyone should be looking out for one another and not just yourself. Some of the ways that they needed to look out for each other was confronting areas of sin in people’s lives. This chapter deals with sexual immorality as well as a lost ox (what a mix).

It is in the Community (1-4) 

If someone in the Israelite community saw an ox or a sheep wondering around they were to return it back to their owner. If they did not know how far or where the owner lived then they were to care for it until the owner came to get his animal. In verse 3 we read that it was not limited to an ox or sheep but even a donkey or garments of clothes. The purpose was for all of Israel to look out for each other. It could have been easy for them to say, “Loser weepers, finder keepers.” That is not what God commanded, they were to take the time to return the lost property. 

The question goes out to you, what do you do if you saw 1 dollar on the side of the road? What about 5? What about 100? We can easily justify lost property by saying, “If they wanted it so bad, they would have kept it.” The same thing like Israel, we are commanded to serve one another.  Matthew 19:30 says, “Whoever desires to be first will be last and whoever will be last will be first.” We should be looking after each other and that means when we see something that someone lost we should do the work to return it to whoever lost it.

Abstract laws (5-12)

The next few laws mentioned in these verses are about important things that we can laugh a little at but know that they serve a purpose. Verse 5 talks about someone not dressing in the opposite genders clothes. This was not merely a girl wearing a guys hat. It means someone taking on the identity of the opposite gender. Today there are people that say they have gender conflict but truth is God created females to be females and males to be males.

In verse 6-7 talks about not eating the mother bird. This was so life could continue. If someone came and killed a mother bird, the baby birds would die. Instead eat the baby birds, as what is commanded here (I personally would not do either).

Verses 8- is about building a fence or railing around the roof of your house, which is called a Parapet. This was to make sure Israel was taking care of its guests in ones house. 

Verse 9-11 is about not mixing seed in a field or fabrics in clothing. For more info read Leviticus 19:19.

Verse 12 is talking about the tassels of their garments that need to be on the four corners or the wings of the garment. Read Numbers 15:37-41. We see that the tassels served as a reminder to Israel to keep the laws of God. 

 Obey the 7th Commandment (13-30)

This was about keeping pure and keeping marriage pure. There are several laws about men and women in these verses which would be good for you to talk to your parents about if you have questions. The goal that God wanted was that the marriage place would be pure and glorify him. God created marriage to glorify him. Today especially in California we see that marriage is getting questioned with who can become married as well as what is marriage. It is important as believers we understand that marriage was set up by God for a man and woman, so they could leave the parents and become a team. Keep this in prayer for the months ahead and for the hearts of people to be moved to make a stand for truth.