As you read through the various laws in Deuteronomy, as I have said before, try to capture the principle behind each command. Often these laws can be hard to understand without a bit of cultural background knowledge or more in-depth understanding of the biblical context. So, unless you want to do an in-depth study (which I can’t offer here), it is best to focus on the laws that are easy enough to understand. Most importantly don’t make rash judgements about fairness in the cases of some of these laws, because, with a bit of cultural context, the purpose becomes plain enough. When the law seems harsh, it may be that you just don’t see the seriousness of the sin in question. As you read through these laws you will find some interesting and perhaps surprising elements. There is the law that forbids a person to return a runaway slave to his master. That is unparalleled in other ancient laws and anticipates the revolutionary view of humanity that emerges throughout the Bible and becomes explicit in the New Testament. There is a law against cross dressing. Why do you think that would that be? There is a law that forbids a newly married man to go to war. The Israelites were forbidden to harvest their crops completely in order to leave something for the poor and the foreigner. There is a law that seeks to ensure household safety. There are even a number of laws that protect the rights of animals. As you read try to draw out principles from various laws that can apply to your life.
Reflect on the laws that stand out to you and think about how the principles might apply to your life.
Read Deuteronomy 22-25
