DEUTERONOMY 19

1 When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses; 2 Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

• In chapter 4:41-43, the Lord had instructed Israel to set apart three of the cities which they had captured already as "cities of refuge." Here, He commands them that out of the cities of the Canaanites which Israel will soon conquer, they were to set aside three in particular to be dedicated for that same purpose.
• Cities of refuge were to be set aside as safe havens for anyone who had accidentally killed another person.
• This practice was based upon a correct understanding of Genesis 9:6: Whoever shed's man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God, God made man.

 

3 Thou shalt prepare thee a way (build roads), and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.

• The people of Israel were to make good roads to each city of refuge, so the cities would be accessible. And as we read in verse 2, these cities were to be in the midst of the land. It would not do any good to have them in remote corners, or in places difficult of access.

 

4 And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly (unintentionally), whom he hated not in time past (without malice previously); 5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood (chop wood), and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve (the head flies off), and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die (accidentally hits him and mortally wounds him); he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: 6 Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot (in a rage), and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy (deserving) of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

• In the case of murder in Israel, it was the right and responsibility of next of kin to the deceased to pursue and overtake the murderer, and bring them to justice in court. That person was called the "avenger of blood," and it was considered a matter of honor. This is still the prevailing mentality in many areas of the Middle East today.
• One who brings about the death of another without malice or premeditation (v. 4) but rather by accident, as in the case of a mishap while working together in a field (v. 5) could flee to one of these cities and be safe.

 

7 Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee. 8 And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers; 9 If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three: 10 That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

• Note that the promise of God that Israel would expand it’s land area hinged upon their obedience to His commands for them. Thus, as Israel expanded its territory, there were to be more cities of refuge.
• Ultimately, there were to be six cities of refuge; with three on each side of the Jordan River and in Joshua 20:7-8 we see the names of the actual cities chosen for this purpose.
• Verse 10 reveals that the purpose for establishing the cities of refuge is to prevent the shedding of innocent blood in Israel. Beloved, our nation is guilty of the shedding of blood of millions of aborted babies.

 

11 But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him (deliberately assaults him), and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities: 12 Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence (bring him back from that city), and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. 13 Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.

• To sum up the law regarding the cities of refuge, it all boils down to this:
  • If the accuseds case was determined to be an accident, he would be allowed to live there for the rest of his life, or until the death of the high priest (Num. 35:25; Josh. 20:6), at which time he would be allowed to return to his own land. He was safe; yes, perfectly safe; and not only perfectly safe, but perfectly certain. He was not hoping to be saved, he was sure of it. However, if he left the city of refuge before the death of the high priest, then the avenger of blood could hunt him down and kill him (Num. 35:26-28).
  • If however the accused was found to be a murderer, having hated the victim and premeditated the action, then there would be no refuge for him. He was to be put to death by the avenger of blood (Num. 35:19).
    • In Romans 11, Paul said "Behold, the goodness and severity of God."
    • The unwitting manslayer was met by the provision of mercy; the guilty murderer fell beneath the stern sentence of inflexible justice. We must never forget the solemn reality of divine government. It meets us everywhere; and if it were more fully recognised, it would effectually deliver us from one-sided views of the divine character. CH Macintosh

 

Heb 6:17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; 20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

• Jesus is the city of refuge for all sinners, for all have sinned and fall short of His glory.

• The city of refuge was to be accessible to all. Likewise the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus is brought near to the poor broken-hearted helpless sinner — so near, that it is "to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly."
• The moment the sinner found himself within the gates, he was safe, and he knew it. The word of God assured Him of his safety, the grace of God provided the means for him to be safe.
• In Christ alone, we are safe and secure forever, for He is not only our perfect atonement for sin, He is also our High Priest of an endless life in Whom we are secure.

 

14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time (their ancestors) have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

• When the tribes of Israel received their inheritance of land, it was divided up by Eleazar the priest and Joshua (Num. 34:17) and then apportioned out to each family by lot (Num. 34:13) by a leader from each tribe (Num. 34:18).
• These men marked the territories so that each family received their fair share of the Promised Land. The landmark was either a cord which stretched along the boundaries of a person's property, or stones which were set up at the corners, in order to serve as a property line and signify ownership. Moving such a boundary would be the equivalent of stealing land from one's neighbor.
• Before the days of surveying transits and GPS systems, this was a real problem. After all, if your great-grandfather established the corner of your property by putting up a pile of stones, what was to prevent the neighbor from moving that pile a hundred yards in his favor? Only the fear of the Lord.
• We see here how God knows the evil that is within our hearts. Covetousness and greed run deep in our flesh, and apart from satisfaction in The Lord’s provision for us, there is this deep-rooted desire to have more. Our modern television adds etc are based on this premise. Thus, the command of Jesus, in Luke 12.15 Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
• Covetousness and greed choke the very spiritual life of God within us. Godliness with contentment is great gain.

 

15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

• The Lord again repeats the principle of "two or more witnesses" being required to convict a person of crime in Israel (Deut. 17:6).
• This principle of 2 or 3 witnesses has been carried into our modern court system by saying that two independent lines of evidence can be valid "witnesses." For example, if there were a murder which no one witnessed with their eyes, yet there was a murder weapon with clear fingerprints, and additional blood evidence each pointing to one suspect, this would be counted as two independent "witnesses."

 

16 If a false (malicious) witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong (to accuse him or wrongdoing); 17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is (involved in the dispute), shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; 18 And the judges shall make diligent (thorough) inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness (lying), and hath testified falsely against his brother; 19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

• The one who turns out to in fact be a false witness against his neighbor (the Ninth of the Ten Commandments) was to suffer the same punishment which was reserved for the one he falsely accused.
• This law is very interesting in light of the fact that at the trial of Jesus, many false witnesses rose up against him, and were demonstrated to be false witnesses by their confused and contradictory testimony (Matthew 26:59-60). The false witnesses, under Jewish law, should have been put to death, because that is the punishment they sought for Jesus.
• We once again see how God hates false witness; beloved, though we are not under law but under grace, false witness is not less hateful to God; and surely the more fully we enter into the grace in which we stand, the more intensely we shall abhor false witness, slander, and evil speaking, in every shape and form.

 

20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. 21 And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

• Our fleshly tendency is to want to do more to the offending party than what they have done to us. But this law was set in place to insure that one could not punish from a motive of revenge, only from a motive of justice.
• If the offender removed the eye of a victim, the most that could be taken from him in retribution is an eye of his own (as compared to issuing something more severe, such as the death penalty).
• It is important to remember that these commands were issued to people that lived under the Old Covenant, and thus did not have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of them to guide them and change their hearts.
• When Jesus became a Man and began to teach the people, preparing them for life under the New Covenant, He showed us a better way to live, which is to willingly suffer wrong if necessary, rather than to demand retribution (Matt. 5:38-42). That is the "law" which we are to live under as Christians today.

 

DEUTERONOMY 20

1 ¶ When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, 3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble (give way to panic), neither be ye terrified because of them; 4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you (give you victory).

• Israel was a small nation, both in stature and in numbers, compared to the people of the nations which they must soon go to war against in order to occupy the Promised Land.

• The Lord is with thee. He reminded them to be aware of His presence in the days of battle. He is not simply a spectator to the battles that we are facing tonight beloved, He is a very present help in time of trouble. How wonderful to think of our Lord Jesus as a Man of war!
• Therefore, the first principle revealed to Israel by God is that when they are faced with overwhelming odds in battle and are tempted to be afraid, they are to remember that God is with them as Captain of the Host. There is no question, no condition, no "if," no "but." It is an unqualified statement. Jehovah Elohim was with them.
• He also tells them to remember the faithfulness and power of the Lord in giving His people deliverance out of Egypt, which was a far superior military power than they were, as reminder of victory. God didn't ask Israel to have a "blind" trust in Him. Their very own history proved that they could trust Him as they went into battle because He had proven Himself mighty and faithful before.
• As Paul said it in Romans 8:31: If God is for us, who can be against us? One with God makes an unbeatable majority. The consciousness of the presence of God is one of the most fear dispensing things in the world. It is so glorious to realize that my God is with me when there are frightening situations that I'm facing. I oftentimes forget that God is with me and that is usually when I really get scared.
• The next principle revealed by God concerning the day on which Israel goes to war is that before they advance onto the battlefield the priests were to address the people and issue words of strength and comfort in the Lord. Numbers 1:47-53 instructs Israel never to take the priests out onto the battlefield as warriors, but here we learn that they were still to play an important part in leading Israel to victory.
• What the Canaanites were to Israel, the wicked spirits in the heavenlies are to us.
  • Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

 

5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. 6 And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it. 7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her (we would say “engaged”)? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her. 8 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint (discouraged) as well as his heart.

• There were four exemptions from service in Israel's army: (1) a home that was nearly built but not yet finished and so had never been lived in, (2) a vineyard which has been labored for but not yet harvested from, (3) a marital engagement which has not yet been consummated, and (4) a heart that is too fearful to advance into battle.
• To God, the size of the army wasn't important; the heart of the army was far more important. He didn't want people who might be distracted from the real battle by worrying about the cares of everyday life (their home, their vineyard, their fiancée'); nor did He want people who were not really trusting Him. God could do more through a smaller army that was really committed to Him than through a bigger army that was full of compromise.
• The story of Gideon (Judges 7) is a powerful illustration of this; Gideon started with an army of 32,000, but it was too big - so he sent home those who were afraid, and 22,000 left! But it was still too big, so God had him send home 7,700 more, so he only had an army of 300 to fight against a Midianite army of 135,000! Yet God gave him the victory.
• All of these exemptions from fighting in the army were a powerful testimony that God wanted Israel to trust in Him for military victory, not in their own ability to raise a mighty, large army.
• Thus we learn that there were two things absolutely essential to all who would fight the Lord's battles, namely, (1) a heart thoroughly disentangled from the things of this of this life nature and (2) a bold unclouded confidence in the Spirit and grace of God.
  • Zech 4.6 This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. 7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
  • 2Ti 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

 

9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people. 10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it (offer them peace). 11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee (subject to you), and they shall serve thee.

• When they must later face other nations, they were to first offer those cities terms of surrender and peace. If those cities agreed, they would become tributaries of Israel (v. 11), or cities which would submit to the governance of Israel in return for also having a military alliance with them. This would have the added benefit of bringing them into contact with the God of Israel, which could lead to their salvation and blessing.

 

12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it: 13 And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword: 14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee. 15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.

• If the cities were not willing to surrender, then they were to be besieged and overcome. They were to strike the males of the city with the sword, but leave the women and children unharmed. They were also permitted to take the plunder of the cities for themselves, which would help pay for the cost of battle.

 

16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: 17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee: 18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

• The command given in verses 10-15 were for cities at a distance; it was to be otherwise with the cities of the Canaanites. To them no offer of peaceful submission was to be made, and when the city was taken, all the inhabitants without reserve were to be destroyed. This was in accordance with God’s command to Israel (Exodus 23. 31-33; 34:11-16; Deuteronomy 7:1-3), and as a precaution against the risk of the people being seduced into idolatry by the heathen should they be allowed to remain in the land.
• For hundreds of years God bore with the seven nations of Canaan, until their wickedness rose up to the very heavens, and the land' itself could bear them no longer.
  • If men imagine that, because God is good, they may go on and sin with a high hand, they will, sooner or later, find out their woeful mistake. CH Macintosh
• We have a hard time with this until we begin to understand that there was more here than God hastily destroying an entire city in order that Israel would have more land. The destruction of these cities was due to their sinful lifestyles and Israel was to be the instrument that God was using in chastening them.

· Verse 18 gives us another reason why God commanded them to wipe out these pagan nations…..He did not want His children to be influenced by their pagan religious practices and ungodly practices, and in so doing, sin against The Lord.

· 1John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

• • The Spirit of The Lord does not dwell in us to conform us to the image of the world, but the image of The Lord Jesus Christ.

 

19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege (is the tree of the field a man that it should be besieged by you?):

20 Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.