Latest / The Woman at the Well Ministries Podcast / 498 | Applying the Commandments (Deuteronomy 19)

Transcript

498 | Applying the Commandments (Deuteronomy 19) · The Woman at the Well Ministries Podcast

0:00
God is in control.
0:05
She's a happy girl. Hello, friends, and welcome back to another podcast of Woman
0:10
at the Well Ministries, where we believe that all of us have to come to Jesus
0:15
like the woman at the well in John chapter 4.
0:18
Our highest priority is making God real in your life.
0:21
Whether you are listening in our app, in your favorite podcasting app,
0:25
or on our website at watwm.org, we invite you to sit down with us as we look
0:31
to the scriptures to learn more about God and to strengthen your daily walk with Jesus Christ.
0:37
Living her life for Christ She's a happy girl.
0:38
Music.
0:48
She's a happy girl,
1:03
Have you ever thought about how God's justice is always balanced by His mercy?
1:09
Deuteronomy chapter 19 gives us a striking glimpse into both.
1:13
As the Israelites prepared to enter the promised land, Moses delivered specific
1:18
instructions, not just about how to live in obedience, but how to live in community.
1:24
From establishing cities of refuge to protecting land boundaries and upholding
1:28
truth in the courtroom, this chapter is filled with reminders that God's law
1:32
is not only righteous, it's also compassionate.
1:36
We begin with the cities of refuge, places of safety for those who had accidentally caused harm.
1:42
These cities were more than just legal protections. They were symbols of God's heart for mercy.
1:47
If someone unintentionally took a life, they could flee to one of these cities
1:51
and be spared the vengeance of others.
1:53
But that mercy had its limits. Those who committed murder with intent could
1:58
not hide behind a city wall.
2:00
Their actions had consequences. This chapter also touches on the command not
2:05
to steal, reminding the Israelites that justice includes respecting your neighbor's property.
2:10
And it closes with a powerful warning about bearing false witness.
2:14
In God's system, truth matters. False testimony wasn't just frowned upon,
2:19
it came with real consequences.
2:21
Join us in this episode of the Woman at the Well Ministries podcast as Erica
2:26
Close teaches from Deuteronomy chapter 19.
2:29
Together we'll see how God's justice makes space for grace, how His mercy is
2:33
never far away, and how His Word, every part of it, applies to our lives today.
2:39
Well, thank you so much for choosing to spend the next few minutes with Woman at the Well Ministries.
2:46
Please join me in Deuteronomy chapter 19, starting in verse 1.
2:52
When the Lord thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the Lord thy God
2:56
giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwelleth in their cities, and in their houses,
3:03
thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land,
3:07
which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.
3:10
Thou shalt prepare thee away, and divide the coasts of thy land,
3:14
which the Lord thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts,
3:18
that every slayer may flee thither.
3:21
And this is the case of the slayer which shall flee thither, that he may live.
3:26
Whoso killeth his neighbor ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past,
3:32
as when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbor to hew wood,
3:35
and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree,
3:39
and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbor that he die,
3:43
he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live.
3:47
Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot,
3:51
and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him, whereas he was not
3:56
worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.
4:01
Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.
4:06
And if the Lord thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers,
4:10
and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers,
4:14
if thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them,
4:17
which I command thee this day, to love the Lord thy God and to walk ever in his ways,
4:22
then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three,
4:28
that innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee
4:33
for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.
4:37
But if any man hate his neighbor, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against
4:43
him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities,
4:48
then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence,
4:52
and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
4:57
Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent
5:01
blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
5:05
Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor's landmark, which they of old time have set
5:09
in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the Lord thy
5:14
God giveth thee to possess it.
5:16
One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity or for any sin.
5:21
In any sin that he sinneth, at the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of
5:26
three witnesses shall the matter be established.
5:29
If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong,
5:36
then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord,
5:42
before the priests and the judges which shall be in those days.
5:46
And the judges shall make diligent inquisition, and behold, if the witness be
5:51
a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother.
5:56
Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother.
6:01
So shalt thou put the evil away from among you.
6:05
And those which remain shall hear
6:07
and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.
6:13
And thine eye shall not pity, but life shall go for life, eye for eye,
6:20
tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
6:25
Remember that the book of Deuteronomy was written as Moses was giving instructions
6:30
to the Israelites before they were crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land.
6:35
They had already conquered a good amount of land on that side of the Jordan
6:39
and had already been dealing with many of the cultural and societal issues that
6:44
are spoken about in Deuteronomy.
6:46
But before they entered the Promised Land, the Lord wanted to ensure that they
6:50
had clearly heard all of His instruction.
6:54
As chapter 19 opens, we see that we have additional instructions for when the
6:59
Israelites moved into the promised land and dwelt in cities that were already
7:04
built for them that had once been inhabited by people that the Israelites would conquer.
7:09
The first instruction in chapter 19 calls for the creation of three cities,
7:15
which are called the cities of refuge.
7:17
The cities of refuge were found at the center of three large regions,
7:22
and the Israelites were to divide
7:24
the land into three parts with a city of refuge in the center of each.
7:29
Cities of refuge had already been established by Moses on this side of Jordan,
7:34
but he was laying out the plan for the next three cities.
7:38
As we look at verse 4, we see the reasoning for these cities of refuge.
7:44
The Bible is clear about how murder is to be treated and how the shedding of blood is to be avenged.
7:50
And these cities of refuge were designed to be a place that if someone had committed
7:55
a crime, such as accidentally killing someone, they had a place to flee,
8:00
where the punishment for the shedding of blood would not be applied.
8:05
Verse 5 gives us the example of a man who accidentally kills someone when the
8:09
head of his axe slips off and kills his neighbor.
8:13
The practice would generally be that the neighbor could avenge the death, but,
8:17
But if the man were to flee into one of the cities of refuge, he'd be able to live.
8:22
The location of the cities was to be such that everyone who committed an accidental.
8:26
Crime could get there before the punishment could be enacted.
8:31
In verse 7, Moses reiterates that three cities were to be separated for this purpose.
8:36
The creation of these cities came with the promise that with this,
8:39
additional land would be promised to the Israelites as it was promised to their fathers.
8:43
And additional promises given to these Israelites in verse 9 with the familiar
8:48
command to love the Lord thy God and walk ever in his ways.
8:52
God's desire for these cities was made clear in verse 10 that the blood of someone
8:57
who was innocent, meaning the crime was an accident, that that additional innocent
9:02
blood would not be shed in the land.
9:06
The tone of the whole chapter shifts as we move into verses 11 through 13.
9:11
Here there is a contrast between what is clearly laid out as cities created
9:15
for mercy and compassion with the consequences of someone who willfully commits
9:20
murder, for which there would be no sanctuary or shelter.
9:24
These verses show us that a willful murder could not be covered by the city
9:29
of refuge and could not be exempted from investigation and punishment.
9:33
If anyone fled into one of the cities after having committed a murder willfully,
9:39
The elders of the city would find him and deliver him into the hands of those
9:42
who were going to be enacting the punishment.
9:45
As the chapter continues, and we move into verse 14, we see once again how Moses
9:51
is laying out how the Israelites should be living out the righteousness that
9:54
God commands in their community.
9:56
Verse 14 is all about not stealing land. Literally, the Israelites were commanded
10:01
not to remove a landmark that had been set out.
10:04
Instead, the Israelites were to live honestly with their neighbors.
10:09
The last section talks about witnesses in a trial.
10:12
This lesson was mentioned earlier in Deuteronomy chapter 17 and is also found in number 3530.
10:19
These verses explain that if someone is accused of a crime, one single witness
10:24
cannot be the only witness upon whom judgment depends, in case that witness were to lie.
10:30
Verse 15 makes it clear that the matter can only be established at the mouth
10:35
of at least three witnesses.
10:37
The Lord also makes it clear that there would be consequences for lying.
10:41
Verse 17 says that the one who committed the crime and the one who bore false
10:45
witness would both have to stand before the Lord, the priests, and the judges.
10:50
Verse 19 explains that if someone were to bear false witness and testify falsely
10:55
against their brother or their neighbor, then the punishment that would have
10:58
been enacted for the crime in question would also be enacted upon the one who had lied.
11:03
This chapter closes with the admonition that what God wanted was for the Israelites
11:08
to hear what He was saying.
11:11
To fear or respect him, and to stop committing these types of evil.
11:16
Clearly, God believed that these Israelites needed this reminder.
11:20
God's desire was to make sure the Israelites understood that there were consequences
11:25
for their sin and that there was punishment for sin.
11:30
Chapter 19 closely connects to three of the Ten Commandments.
11:35
The Sixth Commandment, Thou shalt not kill.
11:38
Eighth Commandment, Thou shalt not steal. And the Ninth Commandment,
11:43
Thou shalt not bear false witness.
11:45
Let's look at how these three commandments play out in this chapter.
11:49
The section on the cities of refuge centers around a murder that has been committed.
11:54
Earlier in the Scriptures, specifically in Genesis 9 and 6, it was established
11:59
that if someone was murdered, then the murderer would also lose his own life.
12:04
But the chapter goes on to clarify that if the murder was committed through
12:07
an accident, then the consequences were not the same, as long as the one who
12:12
had committed the act was able to get to the city of refuge.
12:16
The lesson for us here is not so much about the murder or the crime,
12:20
but about the cities of refuge.
12:23
It is important to see that when Moses was dividing up the land.
12:28
A city of refuge had to be placed in such a location that someone who needed it could get to it.
12:34
How thankful should we be that we can get to Jesus whenever we need to?
12:41
He is never so far away. If someone needs refuge and forgiveness, he is near.
12:49
The cities of refuge model for us the mercy of God.
12:52
While the commandment of an eye for an eye or life for life is clear,
12:56
There is mercy and there is relief in the city of refuge,
13:01
just as there is mercy and refuge in Jesus if we come to him in faith and repentance.
13:09
Verses 8 through 10 of this chapter remind us that obedience is tied to God's plan.
13:14
The Lord laid out for the Israelites that they were to obey him and utilize
13:19
these cities of refuge in a specific way.
13:22
The enlargement of their coasts, or the land nor which they had,
13:26
was dependent upon them keeping his commandments.
13:30
It's also important to look at verses 11 through 13, and remember that this
13:34
chapter sets up a difference between a sin committed innocently or without understanding,
13:40
and a sin committed intentionally.
13:43
When we come to Jesus after we understand what sin is, we can repent and be forgiven.
13:50
But if we come to Jesus and then continue to sin willfully and without regard
13:55
for his instruction or command for holy living, it is very likely that Jesus
14:00
would be able to say to us, Depart from me, I never knew you.
14:05
The next section is about not stealing. We're not to steal from our neighbors.
14:10
The application of this verse is very clear. We have a duty to our neighbors
14:14
and to those among whom we live.
14:18
We need to make sure that we are living off the land that is ours and in no
14:22
way stealing from those around us.
14:25
The last section of this chapter speaks to the importance of telling the truth.
14:30
It warns against not telling the truth and against leading others incorrectly.
14:36
Chapter 19 shows us how the Ten Commandments, though they are short verses,
14:41
have a deep impact on how we live our lives in community and in relation to those around us.
14:47
If there is any lesson for us in Deuteronomy 19, it's that it all applies.
14:53
God's Word applies to our lives. It applies to how we live. It applies to what
14:58
we do and how we act and operate in community.
15:01
God's desire is that we live holy lives and that we live out what He has set up for us.
15:08
Friends, God's Word applies, and it matters.
15:13
Live out His Word. Remember, you are loved. Jesus loves you.
15:19
Music.
15:26
Thank you for joining us in today's podcast. You can visit the show notes for
15:31
quotes from today's podcast and scripture references.
15:34
We pray today has been a blessing, and we encourage you to reach out to us through
15:38
our app, our website, or our Facebook page.
15:41
You can find our app by searching for Woman at the Well Ministries in your app
15:44
store or through our website at watwm.org.
15:48
We're on Facebook at facebook.com slash watwm.
15:53
If you visit our website, you'll be able to subscribe to Bible Bits,
15:57
a daily devotion written by Kim and delivered Monday through Friday by text message.
16:01
Woman at the Well Ministries is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving
16:06
our Heavenly Father. and it is through your loving and generous support that
16:10
our ministry continues to bless others.
16:12
To learn how to partner with Women at the Well Ministries, please visit our website.
16:17
Thank you to the Gospel Group Fudge Creek for letting us use their hit song, Happy Girl.
16:22
We greatly appreciate your prayers. We are praying daily for our listeners.
16:27
Remember that God loves you. You are loved.
16:30
Music.