Today’s passage: Deuteronomy 24
Helpful thoughts:
- The law concerning divorce and remarriage was written to protect women from being used by a man to obtain a greater dowry.
- If a man received a dowry through marrying a woman, then divorced her and she remarried, her second husband could have received a second dowry. If the first husband sought to marry her again, he could only be seeking that second dowry in addition to the first.
- When man is looking for how “far he can go” or “how much he can get away with” without violating rules, God’s law will not be read or interpreted correctly. God gives His people laws for their well-being, to protect the vulnerable, for the life and health of His people.
- Jesus spoke to the interpretations of this law and what God’s true plan for marriage is (Matthew 5:31-32, Matthew 9:7-8).
- As you read through this chapter, you will find many laws that were written to protect the vulnerable. For example:
- The husband was to spend a year with his wife before going to war so that they could have a child. The birth of a child would ensure the woman had someone to help her in her old age.
- The mill and millstone were used for food preparation. If the poor lost their means of preparing food, they would go hungry.
- The cloak was used as a blanket in the colder nights for sleeping. They were to be returned to their owners.
- Wages were to be paid on time so that those who lived day by day (paycheck to paycheck) would have what they needed.
Questions to consider:
- What is God’s heart for the poor? How do we maintain a balanced view of our care for the poor with what is commanded in 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12? If a person is poor because he/she is able but not willing to work, what would be the more loving thing to do?
- If a person is poor because of other factors outside of their control, how can a heart of compassion and generosity be shown in a fruitful way?
- Why does mankind typically look at laws to see what we can do for ourselves as opposed to seeing what we can do for others? How does God’s love for us through the gospel help us have eyes to see laws or rules differently?