Deuteronomy 23

          This chapter continues the theme of purity by focusing on the holiness of God and His sanctuary, the tabernacle, as well as the purity of the whole camp since God is dwelling among His people.
 
            Verses 1-6: This section describes all those who are forbidden membership in “…the congregation of the LORD.” Most commentators and Biblical scholars agree that that phrase refers to not just worship in the tabernacle and all the sacrifices and offerings related to it, but also the right of general citizenship, holding any public office, and marriage to any Israelite. Moses gives specific examples of those who are forever barred from the congregation: eunuchs (v.1), bastards (v.2), and any Ammonite or Moabite (v.3).
           
           Eunuchs: In the ANE, eunuchs were most often the result of pagan worship rituals or forced slavery. It’s important to note here that God, through Moses, is not necessarily making a moral judgment against such men by prohibiting them from full membership in the congregation of His chosen people. Rather, the point here is in regard to the purity and the sanctity of both the tabernacle and the congregation. Earlier, God had made it clear to Moses and the Israelites that no son of Aaron’s lineage is allowed to serve as priest who is blind, crippled, hunchbacked, has any major skin blemishes, or has had his genitalia mutilated in any way. (Leviticus 21:18-21) The same goes for any animal that is brought to the priest to offer up as a sacrifice to the Lord. (Leviticus 22:24)
            As with many other passages here in Deuteronomy, God is further clarifying or adding to His law for the Israelites, and now He is forbidding any eunuch from membership in the congregation of His chosen people because they are not whole or complete. The Moody Bible Commentary states it thusly: “Wholeness” was important in the Israelite worship system, so anything that did not conform to the “perfect” template (in this case a complete male body) was excluded. With something missing from his body he was no longer representative of a man made fully in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). This might seem harsh and unloving of God to exclude a man who very likely had no choice in his castration, since this was often done at an early age when boys were sold into slavery to the cultic priests of the pagan temples, or captured as slaves by a conquering foreign nation. But we must always keep in mind that God is a holy God, and He has every right to set whatever boundaries and restrictions He wants to regarding whom He allows to associate with His chosen people. More than that, however, He has absolute authority and sovereignty over His creation, and He may do with any of us as He so pleases.
 
            Bastards: Those of illegitimate birth are also excluded from Israelite membership and worship in the tabernacle. Since any unmarried individuals who had sexual intercourse are either put to death or required to get married, per the commands in the previous chapter, this passage is most likely referring to non-Israelite children born to cult prostitutes in the pagan temples. However, this may also include a child born of rape, a scenario that was also mentioned in the previous chapter. Since there isn’t much detail or clarification provided here, we can only presume one of two possibilities:
            1) if the victim is unmarried, she rears the child alone until such times as a marriage is arranged and then her husband formally adopts the child as his own. Same thing applies if the woman is already married.
                2) The child is forever forbidden from full membership in the Israelite community, including the worship of God in the tabernacle, thus denying him/her any way of salvation in this current dispensation of the law, even though both of his/her parents are Israelites.
            Given what we already know thus far from the texts of the Pentateuch, I am inclined to accept option #1 as the correct answer, but it is very possible that option #2 is also correct.
            The phrase “…even to his tenth generation…” is an old Hebrew idiom which means “forever”. This verse is not saying that those of the eleventh generation will be allowed to worship God in the tabernacle and be accepted with full membership privileges and rights in the Israelite congregation.
 
            The Ammonites and Moabites: Because of their treatment of Israel when they came out of Egypt, God is denying these two nations any membership among – or even any peaceful alliance with – His chosen people forever. (Nehemiah 13:1-2) It’s also because they hired Balaam to curse Israel, something God did not allow and, instead, turned into a blessing of His chosen people. (Numbers 22:5-6) It is also possible that this prohibition is due to the fact that both these nations are the descendants of the incestuous union of Lot with his two daughters. This would tie in well with the theme of purity and holiness of both the previous chapter and this one.
 
            Verses 7-8: The Edomites and Egyptians, however, are permitted to join the Israelites in their worship in the tabernacle provided, of course, that they convert to the Hebrew faith and belief in God and are willing to obey and honor His law. God reminds the Israelites that they were once strangers in Egypt, and therefore they are to be kind to the Egyptian or Edomite that is now a stranger among them. (Exodus 22:21, 23:9, Leviticus 19:34, Deuteronomy 10:19) Furthermore, the offspring of any marriage of an Israelite to an Egyptian or Edomite is eligible for full membership in the congregation of Israel starting with the third generation. (v.8)
            There is a notable exception to this law in the form of King David who was a descendant of Ruth, a Moabitess. The Moody Bible Commentary offers the following possibility as a way of explanation for this exception: “The simplest view is that we have here an example of “faith” trumping “law.” Ruth demonstrated great faith in the God of Israel, especially during the dark period of the judges, and was graciously allowed to be included into the Israelite community as well as the messianic line.” It’s important to note here that God is making clear to His chosen people that only the foreigner that believes in Him and accepts Him as the one, true God of all creation will be accepted into the congregation of Israel with all rights and privileges thereof. And, in the case of Ruth, her faith in God was so great that He graciously made an exception, again proving that God is absolutely sovereign over all, and He is allowed to make exceptions to these types of laws as He sees fit.
            Contradictions such as this are an example of some of the more difficult and complex theological issues that we find in scripture, but that doesn’t mean that God’s word contradicts itself in any way. Instead, we ought to treat these examples as an avenue of deeper study of the Bible and of God Himself; a way by which we can grow in our faith by tackling such issues and learning more about OT theology and God’s chosen people at this time in history.
 
            Verses 9-14: This section deals with the soldiers of Israel’s army when they go out on a military campaign against their enemies. Because God is present among His people, the entire camp must make sure to remain pure and undefiled, including the soldiers themselves. If there is any man that is unclean because of a seminal emission while he is asleep at night, he is to follow the proper ritual for cleansing himself outside the camp the following day. (v.10-11) (Leviticus 15:16) Additionally, all soldiers are to have a shovel extension on their weapon or person that allows them to dig a hole anytime they need to empty their bowels. This is to be done outside the camp, and the feces is to be covered up afterwards. (v.12-13)
            The reason for these laws is because the presence of God within the camp is what assures victory for the Israelites. (v.14) (Leviticus 26:12, Deuteronomy 7:21) Because God is holy, the camp must also be holy, and that means it must remain undefiled. Any deviation will cause God to remove His presence from the camp.
 
            Verses 15-16: Any servant or slave that is a runaway, meaning he has fled his master before the appointed time of release of service, and who is found by another will not be returned to his original master. This law applies to both the foreign slave/master and the Israelite slave/master. The servant is to remain free to choose a new master. The implication here is that the servant or slave has been mistreated and abused, for that is the primary reason that he or she would flee before the time of service is complete. This is indicated by the last phrase of verse 16: “…thou shalt not oppress him.” (Proverbs 22:22) This commandment is contrary to the standard practices of the nations of the ANE, again demonstrating the distinct separateness of God’s chosen people among the heathen peoples of the promised land.
 
            Verses 17-18: Purity in human sexuality is of upmost importance to God, and he states once again, clearly and explicitly, that adultery and homosexuality among His chosen people is forbidden. (Genesis 19:4-5, Leviticus 18:22, 19:29, 20:13, Deuteronomy 22:21, 2 Kings 23:7) There are no exceptions to this law, and no further clarity is required. The command in verse 17 is as simple and direct as Adam’s statement in Genesis 2:24. Sex is to be enjoyed between one man and one woman only and within the covenant of marriage only. Period! Anything outside of that – adultery, polygamy, homosexuality, orgies, or sex between an unmarried couple – is strictly forbidden by God which He makes very clear to the Israelites throughout the Pentateuch. The apostle Paul makes it clear in his epistles that the same applies to all believers today. (Romans 1:27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Timothy 1:9-10) God has never been vague or equivocal on this issue, quite the opposite in fact. He has made it clear in His word that human sexuality is something holy and sacred between a married couple, each of the opposite sex. Any pastor, reverend, bishop, clergyman, or church that preaches and teaches anything other than this command and prohibition is a liar and a heretic and should be marked and avoided as such.
            The term “dog” in scripture is most often used to refer to gentiles, male prostitutes, or homosexuals, the latter two of which is the case here in verse 18. (Matthew 7:6, Philippians 3:2, Revelation 22:14-15) The command in this verse refers to the tithe of profit from the prostitution of male and female whores – of which some of the men were also sodomite prostitutes – in the pagan rituals and cultic practices of the heathen nations of the promised land. To bring that money into the house of God is an abomination and strictly forbidden by God.
 
            Verses 19-20: The Israelites are forbidden from charging interest on any loans to one another. (v.19) (Exodus 22:25, Leviticus 25:35, Nehemiah 5:2, Psalm 15:5) To the foreigners however, they are allowed to charge interest on a loan. (v.20) (Deuteronomy 15:3)
 
            Verses 21-23: While on the topic of money and lending, Moses reminds the people of the seriousness of vows and freewill offerings made to the LORD. (Numbers 30:2, Job 22:27, Psalm 61:8, 66:13-14, Ecclesiastes 5:4-5, Matthew 5:33) They are to keep their vows by doing whatever they promised to God. (v.23) Failure to do so is a sin in the eyes of the Lord, and will be dealt with accordingly. (v.21) It’s better to have not made the vow at all than to make it and not follow through with it. (v.22)
 
            Verses 24-25: The Israelites are allowed to eat of their neighbor’s crops, but they may not harvest any of them to save for later. This commandment is another way of God’s provision for the poor and destitute among His chosen people. It’s also an example of God’s promise to bless the Israelites when they conquer and settle the promised land. There will be such an abundance of crops that there will be more than enough food to not only feed the poor but also for the landowner to sell for a profit at the market. Therefore, the landowners are not to be stingy by forbidding any of their neighbors to freely eat of their crops and vineyards.