Please read through the remaining chapters of Deuteronomy. Cite here one law you think is particularly good--part of what makes Deuteronomy a fine law code. Cite also one law that you find disturbing, difficult or hard to understand--something that one might *not* (at least at first) think of as part of a particularly good law code.Remember that there is an exam coming up next Thursday!
1 Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God an ox, or a sheep, wherein is a blemish, even any evil thing; for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God.
ReplyDelete-I think that this is a particularly good law. Other religions of the time promoted animal sacrifice and I think that animal sacrifice cannot result in good. What kind of god is pleased with blood? Not the God of Joseph and Abraham. No, the god of torah is a loving god and that is what this particular law shows.
5 then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, who have done this evil thing, unto thy gates, even the man or the woman; and thou shalt stone them with stones, that they die.
-Actually part of the same law, this penalty is probably disturbing. I understand that animal sacrifice is not exactly the right thing to do, but to call it evil? And then to stone to death the person who had done it? I think that is harsh and perhaps even more evil.
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ReplyDeleteFor a good law or quasi law. Is "And thou shall write upon them all the words of this law," It seems out of place, but at the same time it works so well. If they are written down than there can be no denying them later. If they are written into stone it can show the permanence of the laws, since stone lasts forever.
ReplyDelete22:5 The women shall not wear that which pertaineth to a man, neither shall a man put on a women's garment: for all that do so are abominations unto the Lord they God.
Why? Why is it a crime against God to wear clothes of the opposite Gender? Clothes are a creation of man, after all it was both who tried to hide their nekidness. It just seem out of place.
Edit: I messed something up, so I redid it.
20:1 When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots, an army larger your own, you shall not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
ReplyDeleteI really like this because it gives a person courage and probably helped boost moral in battle. It says to not be afraid and to go forth in faith.
23:1 No one whose testicles are crushed or whose penis is cut off shall be admitted to the assembly of the Lord.
Pretty explanatory why this is disturbing.
R. Casey Oberle
30:16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whitther thou goest to possess it.
ReplyDeleteI think this is an important law because it reinforces the more specific laws laid out earlier. It doesn't just say what to do, but HOW to do it and WHY you should. By loving the LORD and following in his way, one will be able to live a worthy life.
17:6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall be put to death.
I find this law a little disturbing because it seems like two or three witnesses shouldn't be enough to put a person to death, especially considering how easy it would be to find one other person who is willing to be dishonest. However, that would raise the question, how many witnesses are needed? This law relies heavily on the idea that people are following the commandment of honesty.
24:17-18 "Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there."
ReplyDeleteI think this law is a particularly good law because it promotes general goodness, to accept people no matter where they are from. Everyone is an alien somewhere, so to deprive aliens of justice is an act against mankind.
20:11 "if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife."
I find this law particularly disturbing because it seems to promote a kind of superficial lifestyle where if a man finds a captive woman beautiful, he may marry her. One would think the Bible would promote marriage as something a bit more genuine and meaningful.
I think chapter 19 verse 15 is a an example of a good law. It ensures that a person will have as fair a trial as possible by requiring at least 2 witnesses to a crime before a man can be declared guilty. This way a man cannot come in and falsely accuse someone and win.
ReplyDeleteOne law that I find unconventional when compared to other law codes comes in chapter 17, verses 16 and 17. In these passages it tells the people that if they ever have a king he is to avoid great wealth. Normally, when you think of a king, you think of wealth and power, but in the Isrealite's law this wealth is forbidden. I believe this is because God does not want the kings to turn away from him to try and gain more wealth, but compared to other law codes, this seems very strange.
John Rawerts
The final chapters of Deuteronomy and the rest of the laws outlined are now out dated. So the interpretation of these laws in our modern times is essential but there are some laws that in all reality can not be done in the society we live in today. For example.
ReplyDeleteDeuteronomy 22:22 "If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; so you shall purge the evil from Isreal."
This law obviously cannot be applied today as it makes way for murder. In today's terms this law cannot be applied to this situation. Yes, the man and woman were being adulterous, but ending the life of both of them is impossible to do. The whole of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy outline the main laws in the Torah. It is a very good law code but there are problems with how one needs to read and interpret these laws as some simply cannot be applied today.
I think there are a few laws in Deuteronomy that seem a little perplexing to me... I do really enjoy the law of every seven years is to be a year of release, ending debts and all sorts of happy stuff. It's like the one day a week you can return your library book without getting a fine!
ReplyDeleteWhile I do think there are a few that are a little odd and wonder their importance, I do dislike the verses that discuss how easy it was for a man to cast off his wife. I saw a note that said divorce was incredibly rare, but the idea that if she unsatisfied him after they had already consummated their marriage, he could just send her away. I do however like that the verses clearly provide a way for the women to be treated well and not treated as harshly as other cultures seemed to treat women. But still, why so easy for them to send the women off?
22:22- "If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel." This is a good law where as the punishment is harsh it is fair and the evil deed does not continue.
ReplyDelete23:10,11- "If one of your men is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp and stay there. But as evening approaches he is to wash himself, and at sunset he may return to the camp." I find this to be a difficult-to-understand passage because I have always struggled with the idea of cleanliness. What makes something unclean? The fact that God said its unclean? Either way it was important as part of this law code. -Zach Kuhlman
Deut. 16: 18- 20 this talks about the importance of choosing leaders for the towns. I think this is important because not having any leaders or leaders that might not be the right person could lead the people in the wrong directions. People need leadership, because god uses those people to encourage others speak through them and teach others about god's plan. Without leadership people would have no one to help them during times of struggle or show them what the proper way is in certain things.
ReplyDeleteTom quigg
In chapter 10 I like how it says (v.12) "And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord you God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord's commands and decrees that I am giving you for your own good?" This states that these commands God gives us are for our own good. They don't go without explanation, and we are given numerous examples in previous and future stories in the Bible of why these laws are for our own good. Deuteronomy 25:4 makes me stop for a second when I read it because of its wording. I wondered what the meaning behind it was for a moment.
ReplyDeleteI think the first few verses of chapter 16 are really important because it talks about remembering the passover. This would be a reminder to them about how God brought them out of Egypt.
ReplyDeleteI think the 23rd chapter shows some harsh and weird laws. This chapter lists all the people who are to be excluded from the assembly of the Lord. These rules just seem a little odd to me.
One law that I think is good is Deuteronomy 16:18-20
ReplyDeleteJudges and officers shalt though make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment. Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
It is good that they have some sort of law system that will keep everyone in check. I also thought it was good how God also said that these designated judges will not take bribes. This will help to keep everyone in check and will somewhat eliminate temptation for the judges.
A verse that I found slightly disturbing was Deuteronomy 17:5
Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or the woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.
It’s very graphic and crazy that they are given permission to kill someone with stones. Being stoned is a messy job and it sounds like it would be a very gross thing to see.
Deuteronomy 17:8-13 talks about law courts and this does is if an issue to hard to judge in civil matter, it should go to the highest people that is close to god the priest, so it is like how court system is now if not solved in a civil court then is got to the highest court in the land the supreme court.
ReplyDeleteThe one that was strange was Deuteronomy 21:1-9 about if a unsolved murder has occurred that the man death should be measured to the nearest town and then will get a heifer to a place were the land has not been plowed and then break its neck, then the priest and the Levi son will give a blessing to the Lord to decide all cases of the dispute and assault; and this strange because why is a cow never to be killed to solve a unsolved murder.
Much of Deuteronomy is what people would consider a traditional law code, unlike the rest of the books that we have read. ONe law that sticks out is in chapter 20, where if a man has had two wives and dilikes one, but has his firstborn with her, he cannot choose the sone from the second marriage to be his successor. His true firstborn must be chosen because there should be no favoritism.
ReplyDeleteA particularily weird passage is in chapter 22 when it talks about a woman wearing mens close and visa versa. It says that God detests this, although I am not sure why.
Tyler Munson
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 21 they answere the question of whose responsibility it is to take care of a dead body that is found. They are to wash their hands and ask God to be merciful on them because human blood has been shed. People must respect all of God's creations including life.