Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 24:1-5.

“1 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house, 2 and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3 and if the latter husband turns against her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her to be his wife, 4 then her former husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife, since she has been defiled;  for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.

5 “When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army nor be charged with any duty;  he shall be free at home one year and shall give happiness to his wife whom he has taken.”  Deuteronomy 24:1-5.

————————

“Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?”  And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’?  So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”  They *said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND HER AWAY?”  He *said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives;  but from the beginning it has not been this way.  And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

The disciples *said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.”  But He said to them, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given.  For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb;  and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”  Matthew 9:3-12.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 23:15-25.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+23&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“19 “You shall not charge interest to your countrymen:  interest on money, food, or anything that may be loaned at interest.  20 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.

21 “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.  22 However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you.  23 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.

24 “When you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, then you may eat grapes until you are fully satisfied, but you shall not put any in your basket.

25 “When you enter your neighbor’s standing grain, then you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not wield a sickle in your neighbor’s standing grain.”    Deuteronomy 23:19-25.

———————–

The LORD exercises both lovingkindness and justice.  Today’s Scripture shows the lovingkindness, and the resulting provisions, that the LORD had for the poor.  But, this lovingkindness, and the resulting provisions, were balanced by justice, and the resulting provisions.

The lovingkindness provision that no interest was to be charged fellow countrymen was balanced by the justice provision (inferred) that the amount of the “loan” had to be repaid.

The lovingkindness provision that one could refrain from making a vow was balanced by the justice provision that if one did make a vow, then that vow had to be performed.

The lovingkindness provision that the poor could eat grapes to satisfy their hunger while passing through a vineyard was balanced by the justice provision that the poor could not unreasonably profit from what was not their own by gathering the grapes in a basket to sell or eat later.

The lovingkindness provision that the poor could eat grain to satisfy their hunger while passing through a field was balanced by the justice provision that the poor could not could not unreasonably profit from what was not their own by harvesting grain through the use of a sickle to sell or eat later.

Thus, we do see lovingkindness in today’s Scripture, but we also see justice in today’s Scripture.

“A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight.”  Proverbs 11:1.

Today’s Scripture, which contains provisions for both lovingkindness and justice, helps us understand what is important to the LORD and what He does.

“Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;  but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;  for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.”  Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 23:1-14.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+23&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“1 “No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord.  2 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.  3 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, 4 because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.  5 Nevertheless, the Lord your God was not willing to listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because the Lord your God loves you.  6 You shall never seek their peace or their prosperity all your days.

7 “You shall not detest an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not detest an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land.  8 The sons of the third generation who are born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord.

9 “When you go out as an army against your enemies, you shall keep yourself from every evil thing.  …

14 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 Chapter 23:  Verses 1-19 and 4.

——————–

It is one thing for the camp to be holy enough for the LORD to walk in its midst.  It is quite another thing, a giant leap forward, requiring perfection through the work of God, for an individual to be holy enough for the LORD to dwell within him or her through the Holy Spirit.  

“4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No evil dwells with You.
5 The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes;
You hate all who do iniquity.
6 You destroy those who speak falsehood;
The Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.”  Psalm 5:4-6.

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived;  neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”  1 Corinthians 6:9-10.  “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:  immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  Galatians 5:19-21.

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:  for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?  and what communion hath light with darkness?”  King James Version.

But, there is hope!

“But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house,
At Your holy temple I will bow in reverence for You.”  Psalm 5:7.

“How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You
To dwell in Your courts.
We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Your holy temple.”  Psalm 65:4.

We get a hint of that work of God that prepares us to receive His Holy Spirit.

“Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins;  otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined;  but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”  Matthew 9:17.

“So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”  Galatians 3:5.

“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”  Hebrews 10:14.

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”  Romans 8:11.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.  …  In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.  In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”  Ephesians 1:3-14.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith;  and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:4-8.

“Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.  Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”  2 Corinthians 3:4-6.

And, this gift of the Holy Spirit is not only for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles.

“All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.”  Acts 10:45.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 22:13-30.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+22&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“20 “But if this charge is true, that the girl was not found a virgin, 21 then they shall bring out the girl to the doorway of her father’s house, and 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;  thus you shall purge the evil from among you.

22 “If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman;  thus you shall purge the evil from Israel.

23 “If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, 24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl, because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor’s wife.  Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.”  Deuteronomy 22:20-23.

——————–

The history of Israel can be summarized as Israel playing the harlot (chasing after other gods) and angering God, despite what God did for Israel;  God punishing Israel;  and yet, nevertheless, God showing astonishing forgiveness and grace alone to Israel despite her harlotry.  

“The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers;  and this people will arise and play the harlot with the strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them.”  Deuteronomy 31:16.

“1 God says, “If a husband divorces his wife
And she goes from him
And belongs to another man,
Will he still return to her?
Will not that land be completely polluted?
But you are a harlot with many lovers;
Yet you turn to Me,” declares the Lord.
2 “Lift up your eyes to the bare heights and see;
Where have you not been violated?
By the roads you have sat for them
Like an Arab in the desert,
And you have polluted a land
With your harlotry and with your wickedness.
3 “Therefore the showers have been withheld,
And there has been no spring rain.
Yet you had a harlot’s forehead;
You refused to be ashamed.
4 “Have you not just now called to Me,
‘My Father, You are the friend of my youth?
5 ‘Will He be angry forever?
Will He be indignant to the end?’
Behold, you have spoken
And have done evil things,
And you have had your way.”

6 Then the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did?  She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there.  7 I thought, ‘After she has done all these things she will return to Me’;  but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.  8 And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also.  9 Because of the lightness of her harlotry, she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.  10 Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in deception,” declares the Lord.”  Jeremiah 3:1-10.

“1 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem, “Your origin and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite, your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.  4 As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing;  you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths.  5 No eye looked with pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you.   Rather you were thrown out into the open field, for you were abhorred on the day you were born.

6 “When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’  Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’  7 I made you numerous like plants of the field.  Then you grew up, became tall and reached the age for fine ornaments;  your breasts were formed and your hair had grown.  Yet you were naked and bare.

8 “Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love;  so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness . I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine,” declares the Lord God.  9 “Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil.  10 I also clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk.  11 I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck.  12 I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.  13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your dress was of fine linen, silk and embroidered cloth.  You ate fine flour, honey and oil; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty.  14 Then your fame went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My splendor which I bestowed on you,” declares the Lord God.

15 “But you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot because of your fame, and you poured out your harlotries on every passer-by who might be willing.  16 You took some of your clothes, made for yourself high places of various colors and played the harlot on them, which should never come about nor happen.  17 You also took your beautiful jewels made of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images that you might play the harlot with them.  18 Then you took your embroidered cloth and covered them, and offered My oil and My incense before them.  19 Also My bread which I gave you, fine flour, oil and honey with which I fed you, you would offer before them for a soothing aroma; so it happened,” declares the Lord God.  20 “Moreover, you took your sons and daughters whom you had borne to Me and sacrificed them to idols to be devoured.  Were your harlotries so small a matter?  21 You slaughtered My children and offered them up to idols by causing them to pass through the fire.  22 Besides all your abominations and harlotries you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare and squirming in your blood.

23 “Then it came about after all your wickedness (‘Woe, woe to you!’ declares the Lord God), 24 that you built yourself a shrine and made yourself a high place in every square.  25 You built yourself a high place at the top of every street and made your beauty abominable, and you spread your legs to every passer-by to multiply your harlotry.   You also played the harlot with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, and multiplied your harlotry to make Me angry.  27 Behold now, I have stretched out My hand against you and diminished your rations. And I delivered you up to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd conduct. 28 Moreover, you played the harlot with the Assyrians because you were not satisfied;  you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied.  29 You also multiplied your harlotry with the land of merchants, Chaldea, yet even with this you were not satisfied.”’”

30 “How languishing is your heart,” declares the Lord God, “while you do all these things, the actions of a bold-faced harlot.  31 When you built your shrine at the beginning of every street and made your high place in every square, in disdaining money, you were not like a harlot.  32 You adulteress wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband!  33 Men give gifts to all harlots, but you give your gifts to all your lovers to bribe them to come to you from every direction for your harlotries.  34 Thus you are different from those women in your harlotries, in that no one plays the harlot as you do, because you give money and no money is given you; thus you are different.”

35 Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord.  36 Thus says the Lord God, “Because your lewdness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered through your harlotries with your lovers and with all your detestable idols, and because of the blood of your sons which you gave to idols, 37 therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, even all those whom you loved and all those whom you hated.  So I will gather them against you from every direction and expose your nakedness to them that they may see all your nakedness.  38 Thus I will judge you like women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy.  39 I will also give you into the hands of your lovers, and they will tear down your shrines, demolish your high places, strip you of your clothing, take away your jewels, and will leave you naked and bare.  40 They will incite a crowd against you and they will stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords.  41 They will burn your houses with fire and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women.  Then I will stop you from playing the harlot, and you will also no longer pay your lovers.  42 So I will calm My fury against you and My jealousy will depart from you, and I will be pacified and angry no more.  43 Because you have not remembered the days of your youth but have enraged Me by all these things, behold, I in turn will bring your conduct down on your own head,” declares the Lord God, “so that you will not commit this lewdness on top of all your other abominations.”  Ezekiel 16:1-43.

“60 “Nevertheless, I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. 61 Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your sisters, both your older and your younger; and I will give them to you as daughters, but not because of your covenant. 62 Thus I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, 63 so that you may remember and be ashamed and never open your mouth anymore because of your humiliation, when I have forgiven you for all that you have done,” the Lord God declares.”  Ezekiel 16:60-63.

Today’s Scripture comes from Deuteronomy 22:5-12.

“5 “A woman shall not wear man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing;  for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.

6 “If you happen to come upon a bird’s nest along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young;  7 you shall certainly let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, in order that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days.

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.

9 “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.

10 “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

11 “You shall not wear a material mixed of wool and linen together.

12 “You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself.”    Deuteronomy 22:5-12.

—————————-

The focus of this devotion is on the last four verses which are put in bold italic.  But, first, I do want to briefly comment on a few things in some of the other verses.

Regarding verse 5, it may seem harmless for men and women to wear each other’s clothes, but it can be deceptive, and it does not honor God’s creation and intention for them.  God created man and woman, and although they have many things in common and are not independent of each other, they were created to have distinct features and functions.  Romans 1:26-27 expresses the degrading passions that occur when women exchange “the natural function for that which is unnatural” and when men abandon “the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another”.

Regarding verse 8, a parapet is a specific safety provision.  It is defined as “low wall or railing to protect the edge of a platform, roof, or bridge”.  Merriam-Webster online dictionary.  The purpose of a parapet on a roof is to protect those people who are on a roof and who may lose their balance.  The parapet gives them some barrier, or something to grab, to prevent them from falling off the roof and hurting themselves.

Generally, safety provisions are good.  We see requirements of safety provision throughout society.  We see fences around pools.  We see trampolines only in backyards.  We see child-proof caps.  There are so many other examples.  Although people should not be careless, we see God’s law (and man’s law following God’s law) mercifully making such safety provisions to prevent or at least minimize the consequences of man’s carelessness.

Now, we will focus on the last four verses which are put in bold italic.  These verses point together to a common theme that the kingdom of heaven is not mixed with the righteous and unrighteous.  “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived;  neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”  1 Corinthians 6:9-10.  “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:  immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  Galatians 5:19-21.

We particularly see the image of the ox and donkey in verse 10 used in 2 Corinthians 6:14:  “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:  for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?  and what communion hath light with darkness?”  King James Version.

In verse 12, the purpose of the tassels is explained in Numbers 15:37-41.  “The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying, “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.  I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God;  I am the Lord your God.”  Numbers 15:37-41.

In conclusion, there is much in this world that tempts us to “follow after your own heart and your own eyes” and to chase after other unholy things and to get bound up in such other unholy things.  We need reminders, both soft and subtle and loud and clear, in God’s Word to stay holy to our God.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 22:1-4.

“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.  If your countryman is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall remain with you until your countryman looks for it;  then you shall restore it to him.  Thus you shall do with his donkey, and you shall do the same with his garment, and you shall do likewise with anything lost by your countryman, which he has lost and you have found.  You are not allowed to neglect them.  You shall not see your countryman’s donkey or his ox fallen down on the way, and pay no attention to them;  you shall certainly help him to raise them up.”  Deuteronomy 22:1-4.

————————–

“… through love serve one another.  For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Galatians 5:13-14.

“This is the covenant that I will make with them
After those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws upon their heart,
And on their mind I will write them,”  …”  Hebrews 5:15.

God gives us impulses to help our neighbor.  Through God’s grace and Holy Spirit within us, we find ourselves wanting to do things to help our neighbor.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love …”  Galatians 5:22.

We have different gifts and do different things to help our neighbor.  Some may bake a dinner for a neighbor experiencing grief or health problems.  Some may mow the grass for an elderly widow.  Some may coach a neighbor’s son in sports.  Some may say an  encouraging word to a neighbor at the right time.  “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.  There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.”  1 Corinthians 12:4-6.

And, these good deeds are not just random and sporadic “photo opportunities”.  Like the excellent wife in Proverbs Chapter 31, the righteous, through God’s grace and Holy Spirit, does not fear evil but does good to her or his neighbor all the days of her or his life.  “She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.”  Proverbs 31:12.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:10.

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;”  2 Corinthians 9:8.

In conclusion, I saw such enduring grace in a good Christian friend whom I noticed had helped a special needs person for years.  When I asked him about it, he exclaimed something to the effect:  “I can’t help it!  …  I get more from her than she does from me.” 

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 21:18-23.

“If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown.  They shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’  Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear.

“If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.”  Deuteronomy 21:18-23.

———————

In sharpest contrast to this son who is a glutton and drunkard whom the parents will bring out to the gateway of his hometown so that the men of his city shall stone him to death, there is a Son (Jesus Christ, the Son of God) about Whom God the Father said:  “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”  Luke 3:22.

“But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief;  If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.”  Isaiah 53:10.

And so, God the Father sent His beloved, only begotten Son, to be lifted up and die on the cross.  “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;  so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  John 3:14-16.

And, this Son, Jesus Christ, knowing His Father’s will to send Him to the cross, nevertheless accomplished His Father’s will.  “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me;  yet not My will, but Yours be done.”  Luke 22:42.  “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”  John 17:4.

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—  in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”  Galatians 3:13-14.

In summary, today’s Scripture commanded the son who was a glutton and drunkard to be punished by death.  We too are disobedient and rebellious, deserving to be punished by death.  Here is what the Heidelberg Catechism states in part:

Q. 10.  Will God suffer such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished? 

A.  By no means;  but is terribly displeased with our original as well as actual sins;  and will punish them in his just judgment temporally and eternally, as he has declared, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” 

But, there is hope!  As today’s Scripture also commanded that one who is worthy of death to be hung on a tree, there is a Son Who was not only sent to generally die, but to specifically die on a cross.

Q. 39.  Is there anything more in his being “crucified”, than if he had died some other death? 

A.  Yes there is;  for thereby I am assured, that he took on him the curse which lay upon me;  for the death of the cross was accursed of God. 

Q. 40.  Why was it necessary for Christ to humble himself even “unto death”? 

A.  Because with respect to the justice and truth of God, satisfaction for our sins could be made no otherwise, than by the death of the Son of God.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 21:10-16.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+21&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“¹⁰ “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and the Lord your God delivers them into your hands and you take them away captive, ¹¹ and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and have a desire for her and would take her as a wife for yourself, ¹² then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails.  ¹³ She shall also remove the clothes of her captivity and shall remain in your house, and mourn her father and mother a full month;  and after that you may go in to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife.  ¹⁴ It shall be, if you are not pleased with her, then you shall let her go wherever she wishes;  but you shall certainly not sell her for money, you shall not mistreat her, because you have humbled her.”  Deuteronomy 21:10-14. 

———————-

Today’s Scripture is not permission to have more than one wife.  No Christian would maintain it, and it is not even legal.  

And, today’s Scripture isn’t really about an equal division of duties between wives and husbands, although each does have her or his own duties.  Rather, today’s Scripture is about the following.  As the woman was made captive and made a wife in today’s Scripture, we were made captive to Christ and made to be His church through “Irresistible Grace”, the “I” of “TULIP, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.  

Although the following Scripture does spell out the duties of each, the wife and the husband, the following Scripture is more about what Christ has done for the church:  “that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing;  but that she would be holy and blameless”.   Ephesians 5:27.  Reformed Doctrine is more about what God has done for us than what we have done for God as evidenced by the “Unconditional Election”, “Limited Atonement”, “Irresistible Grace”, and “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L” “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, compared to “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP” which is what man produces on his own.  

“²² Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.  ²⁴ But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, ²⁶ so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing;  but that she would be holy and blameless.  ²⁸ So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;  ²⁹ for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of His body.  ³¹ For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.  ³² This mystery is great;  but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.  ³³ Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.”  Ephesians 5:22-33.

“We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”  2 Corinthians 10:15.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 21:1-9.

“1 “If a slain person is found lying in the open country in the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess, and it is not known who has struck him, 2 then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the slain one.  3 It shall be that the city which is nearest to the slain man, that is, the elders of that city, shall take a heifer of the herd, which has not been worked and which has not pulled in a yoke;  4 and the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which has not been plowed or sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley.  5 Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the Lord your God has chosen them to serve Him and to bless in the name of the Lord;  and every dispute and every assault shall be settled by them.  6 All the elders of that city which is nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;  7 and they shall answer and say, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it.  8 Forgive Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, O Lord, and do not place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.’  And the bloodguiltiness shall be forgiven them.  9 So you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.”  Deuteronomy 21:1-9.

—————————–

I expected that this Scripture would provide an animal whose blood was shed for the forgiveness of sin.  With that expectation, I was tempted to ignore what this Scripture states and rush into talking about only Christ and “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” as in Hebrews 9:22:  “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

But, this Scripture does not talk about the shedding of blood.  It only provides a heifer whose neck was broken.  It only provides a requirement that the elders of the city wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken.  And, it only concludes:  “So you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.”  Verse 9.

When I write daily devotions, I have been convicted that I should not have my own expectations of what Scripture will provide.  I should not have my own agenda.  I should not be in a rush to write the first thing that pops in my head even if it is true and other Scripture leads to that subject matter.  I need to write about what the Scripture for today provides.  I think that duty, whatever the theological term for it, is meant by “accurately handling the word of truth” in 2 Timothy 2:15:  “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

And so, through God’s grace, trying to be diligent and “accurately handling the word of truth” for what it states, and not for what I expect it will state or want it to state, today’s Scripture reminds me of the Book of James.

“14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works?  Can that faith save him?  15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?  17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works;  show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”  19 You believe that God is one. You do well;  the demons also believe, and shudder.  20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?  21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?  22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;  23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.  25 In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?  26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”  James 2:14-26.

Who can do these works?!  Who can do “what is right in the eyes of the Lord”?!

But, there is hope!

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:12-13.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:10.

“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”  Ezekiel 36:27.

“But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”  Romans 6:17.

Today’s devotion comes from Deuteronomy 20:10-20.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+20&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“10 “When you approach a city to fight against it, you shall offer it terms of peace.  11 If it agrees to make peace with you and opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall become your forced labor and shall serve you.  12 However, if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it.  13 When the Lord your God gives it into your hand, you shall strike all the men in it with the edge of the sword.  14 Only the women and the children and the animals and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as booty for yourself;  and you shall use the spoil of your enemies which the Lord your God has given you.  15 Thus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations nearby.  16 Only in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes.  17 But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you, 18 so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God.”  Deuteronomy 20:10-18.

——————-

Today’s devotion, with the exception of a few additions and a few other changes, is a “copy and paste” of a devotion on church discipline that was posted on October 31, 2014.  Church discipline is important, and this subject should be repeated as today’s Scripture leads us again to consider it.

As was made crystal clear in prior devotions, no Christian maintains that Christians should put to death people who worship other gods.  “You shall not murder.”  Exodus 20:13.

Today’s Scripture again points us to church discipline.  And, there are two additions (distinctions) presented in today’s Scripture.

First, there is a distinction in today’s Scripture between tolerance for people “very far” away (symbolizing those people outside the church) and non-tolerance for those people “that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance” (symbolizing those people who are improperly inside the church).

Second, there is a distinction in today’s Scripture between tolerance for people who accept the terms of peace and who subject themselves (symbolizing those people outside the church who come into the church but are willing to obey God and church leaders) and non-tolerance for those people who don’t accept the terms of peace and who are not willing to subject themselves (symbolizing those people outside the church who come into the church but are not willing to obey God and church leaders).

“I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;  I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.  But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.  For what have I to do with judging outsiders?  Do you not judge those who are within the church?  But those who are outside, God judges.  Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.”  1 Corinthians 5:9-13.

And, church discipline does not only extend to those who practice immoral behavior within the church.  Church discipline also extends to those practice heresy within the church.

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;  which is really not another;  only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.  But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!    As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”  Galatians 1:6-9.

In summary, we remove the wicked people from among ourselves within our church (who are not at peace with us and who do not subject themselves by obedience to God and church leaders) by ex-communication (removing a member from membership and attendance in church) according to proper church discipline procedures done by the leaders of the church (minister, elders, and deacons).

Article 32:  Of the Order and Discipline of the Church.

“…  Therefore we admit only of that which tends to nourish and preserve concord, and unity, and to keep all men in obedience to God. For this purpose, ex-communication or church discipline is requisite, with the several circumstances belonging to it, according to the Word of God.”  Belgic Confession.