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Deuteronomy 14-16     

Deuteronomy 14

Continuing, Moses proceeded to give the injunctions which revealed his consciousness of this effect of worship on conduct, warning the people against specific evils and urging them anew to observance of matters enjoined by the Law.

In this chapter we find first of all his warning against the seduction of sorrow. The people of the land were accustomed to mutilate themselves in the wildness of their sorrow over the death of friends. All such mutilation was strictly forbidden to the people chosen to be a holy people to the Lord.

Next in order, followed careful instructions on eating, with differentiation between things clean and unclean. Such provisions as these were long looked on as wholly capricious, the result of mere superstitions among the Hebrew people. Today we find men of science coming ever more closely to the teachings of Moses in their views on the subject of human diet. There is no question that every provision was in strict accordance with the laws of health, qualified of course by the climate and conditions existing in that land.

Finally, the chapter contains Moses' instructions on tithing. The people were warned not to neglect it and it was insisted that they must personally present the tithe at the place of the law's appointing. If they lived too far away to carry the produce, they were to turn it into money, which might more easily be carried the long distance.

Deuteronomy 15

Here we have provision made for the relief of the poor and the less fortunate at regularly stated intervals. The great ideal is revealed in the words, "There shall be no poor with thee." This, however, was possible only as Moses taught, "If only thou diligently hearken unto the voice of Jehovah thy God. . . ."

In this connection they were charged to make provision for the release of the debtor every seventh year. In all social life will come times of adversity but if this benevolent provision be observed there will never be any absolutely hopeless poverty.

Whereas Moses had said that on the fulfillment of certain conditions there would be no poor, he followed with, "If there be with thee a poor man . . "; and, later, he affirmed, "The poor shall never cease out of the land."

Therefore, such must be cared for and the fact of this provision of a year of release must not be made an excuse for failing to give immediate help to those who are in need. Solemnly he charged them to obey the command which called for the consecration of the first fruits of herds and flocks to the Lord.

Deuteronomy 16

As the section dealing with the statutes commenced with the place of worship, it closed with the restatement of the importance of the great feasts which by their annual recurrence set the whole year in relation to worship.

The year commenced with the Passover. Thus at the beginning the Hebrews were reminded of how their true national existence resulted from their deliverance by God out of Egypt's bondage. The Passover feast must be maintained in the land and observed at the proper center of worship in order that the day of the exodus might be remembered perpetually. Thus their fundamental relationship to God was to be brought to mind at the beginning of every year.

The next event of importance in the consecration of the year was the feast of Pentecost, in which the first fruits of the harvest were to be presented to the Lord, thus reminding them that not only their existence as a nation, but their perpetual sustenance was dependent on the selfsame fact of relationship to Him.

Finally, in this particular application came the feast of Tabernacles. This was to be a time of rejoicing in which master and servant, people and priests, fathers and children, the prosperous and the bereft were all to be included.

On these three occasions all the males were called upon to appear before God and to bring with them gifts. Thus the value and importance of stated and united worship were solemnly enforced on the people as they stood on the threshold of their land.

In this chapter, verse eighteen, we have commenced the section dealing with the subject of judgments. Here Moses commanded the appointment of judges and officers and declared the principles on which they were to act. These were to be those of strict righteousness without any wresting of judgment. There must be no respect of persons and no reception of bribes. There must be no false worship.