Heralds Digest

"You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land." (Deuteronomy 23:7 NKJV) Pain is the natural product of any unpleasant relationship with people and places. However, God's purpose for His people in pain is quite different from their enemies' intentions. Even though the purposes of Edom and Egypt to delay and distract Israel from getting to Canaan were successful, these purposes were perfectly aligned with the agenda of the Almighty God. Therefore, the purpose in Israel's pain could never be bitterness against Edom and Egypt. Likewise, if our focus on God is perfect with pain, we can praise God for every agent of pain in our life.

" But if a man finds a betrothed young woman in the countryside, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die ." (Deuteronomy 22:25 NKJV) The Mosaic law underscores the sacredness of engagement vows by providing different judgments to the same sin of raping an unmarried lady, depending on the status of the victim. If the victim is not engaged, the offender gets an unprepared marriage contract; but a death sentence is offered, if the victim is engaged. Obviously, the forceful breaking of other's open engagement vow is considered the murder of fellow's dream and the termination of the anticipated blessing of his union with the victim. Although this law is irrelevant in many of today's jurisprudence, the disregard of other's sacred engagement is still a significant setback to marital bliss. However, God's grace is sufficient for unlawful victims of secret spiritual engagements.

“ You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray, and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly bring them back to your brother .” (Deuteronomy 22:1 NKJV) Although man’s character can be negatively shaped by his circumstances, the Creator’s perception about our inate characteristics remains the same – good. Good does nothing other than goodness, unless a self-imposed influence constraints it in the opposite direction. Anybody can finds frustration when goodness is mostly desired. Unfortunately, nobody finds goodness unless somebody makes other’s needs a priority. The hidden goodness in us may be the solution to most of our frustrations in life.

“ If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God .” (Deuteronomy 21:22-23 NKJV) Under the Jewish law, the father of any rebellious and stubborn son would readily acknowledge the responsibility of being the first accuser and accept the resultant death penalty of his son. The possible logic could be that a rebellious and unrepentant son may later suffer as a public offender, standing accused of man and accursed of God, if convicted. Unfortunately, this same height of shame, which is undesirable to any earthly father, is suffered by our heavenly Father when His only begotten Son was offered on the cross. In God’s redemption plan, a sinner saved from sin is worth the shame of Christ being accused and accursed.

“ And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you .’” (Deuteronomy 20:3-4 NKJV) The Devil’s strategy of presenting God as a wicked battle-monger, who does not have victory as part of his game plan, is consistent in every challenge of life. Otherwise, no one would faint at the verge of battle with his enemies, without counting on the source of supports that sustain the ongoing struggle. Sincerely, it is better to be prevented by fear from getting started, compared to fainting at the verge of the battle. Eventually, either of both fear or fainting is the denial of the testimony of divine assistance for past victories, and the denunciation of divine promises for future battles.

“ You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which the men of old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess .” (Deuteronomy 19:14 NKJV) Good husbandry ignores the feasibility of greener grass at the other side of the fence. This represents the existence of great value in every provision of the Lord, as long as man is not distracted from his dominion responsibility. Therefore, the fullness of every land depends on the exploratory activities invested upon it, and not on the exploitation of possible boundary adjustment. The greatest of all of God’s blessings on any land represents the deposit of the most valuable human resources. Great gain comes with contentment in our inheritance, and the development of its human capacity.

“ So if a Levite comes from any of your gates, from where he dwells among all Israel, and comes with all the desire of his mind to the place which the LORD chooses, then he may serve in the name of the LORD his God as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the LORD .” (Deuteronomy 18:6-7 NKJV) In the absence of any constraint, transition becomes a continuous life experience, as long as there is a will to keep a living desire. Unfortunately, and like the Levites, those who are called for a purpose have little maneuvering around their call of duty. Although the exercise of a man’s freewill can keep the search for relevance outside the call of duty alive, only the pursuit of God’s purpose for living can fill the obvious vacuum in the heart. We need a divinely-inspired desire in order to accept the in-transit status of our current position, while we locate our divine destination.