Introduction
‘No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the LORD. No one born of a forbidden marriage nor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, not even in the tenth generation. No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, not even in the tenth generation. For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you. However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them as long as you live. Do not despise an Edomite, for the Edomites are related to you. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you resided as foreigners in their country. The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the LORD.’ Deuteronomy 23:1-8
Exclusion From The Assembly
Moses begins by saying that no man who has been emasculated or has been castrated cannot enter the assembly of the Lord, Leviticus 21:17-24.
No one born from a forbidden marriage, that is, an illegitimate child, someone who was born to a woman but wasn’t married at the time, was also not allowed to enter the assembly of the Lord, Nehemiah 13:23.
Even in the tenth generation, weren’t allowed to enter the assembly of the Lord, Exodus 23:19 / Exodus 34:26 / 1 Corinthians 6:13-20 / Hebrews 13:4.
The males were to assemble before the Lord every year on Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles, but these males were forbidden from doing so, Leviticus 11:44 / Leviticus 16:16 / Leviticus 16:30 / Leviticus 18:30 / Leviticus 20:23 / Leviticus 21:18-21 / Leviticus 22:21.
Because of their hostile treatment of Israel at the time of their entrance into the land of Canaan, the Ammonites and Moabites were also to be excluded, Isaiah 21:14.
The principle of these exclusions is based on the fact that God seeks conviction in His covenant with His people, Deuteronomy 18:13 / Isaiah 56:3-5 / Acts 8:27.
After Israel had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, they went to battle against Og the king of Bashan. Both kingdoms were routed and their land disposed of by the Israelites according to God’s commandments, Numbers 21:21-35.
Balak, king of Moab, heard of these battles and had a great fear of Israel and so, he attempts to hire a prophet by the name of Balaam to curse the people of God so that he might defeat them, Numbers 22:1-6. Each time Balaam tried to curse Israel, however, he blessed them.
The Moabites and Ammonites were related to Israel, Genesis 19:37-38, and they should have had empathy for Israel. Instead, they sought their demise and for their wickedness, the Lord excludes them from the assembly ‘even to the tenth generation.’
The exclusion also applied to the Edomites and Egyptians but only to the second generation. The Edomites were also relatives of Israel, Genesis 36:1, and the Egyptians preserved the nation of Israel for 400 years in their land, Exodus 11:2-3 / Genesis 42.
After the exclusion period to either the second or tenth generation, those who were excluded had to profess the covenant and laws of God that were the conditions upon which the covenant was based.
Uncleanness In The Camp
‘When you are encamped against your enemies, keep away from everything impure. If one of your men is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, he is to go outside the camp and stay there. But as evening approaches he is to wash himself, and at sunset he may return to the camp. Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement. For the LORD your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.’ Deuteronomy 23:9-14
Moses commands Israel to keep away from anything impure when they are encamped against their enemies, Leviticus 16:16 / Leviticus 16:30.
Everyone was to acknowledge the man’s unclean state and expect him to go outside the camp and remain unclean until the next evening. When he has bathed in water he was permitted to come back into the camp. God wanted to keep the camp of Israel hygienic, Leviticus 15:16-17.
Notice that the Lord goes into detail concerning the place and manner in which a man urinates or defecates. No man was to use the restroom within the camp but rather they were to go to a designated area, with their shovel, and bury their waste.
The reason these laws were given was simply to keep the camp clean and prevent any nakedness among the people in the camp. They were to carry out the toiletries necessities of life outside the camp.
The word ‘indecent’ is the same word that is used in Deuteronomy 24:1. Here it’s a reference to human excrement. God says that He is going to come down and be walking in the camp of the Israelites and He doesn’t want to be stepping into that.
When they go out, He wants them to dig a hole and relieve themselves and cover over it, He doesn’t want to see that indecency.
Miscellaneous Laws
‘If a slave has taken refuge with you, do not hand them over to their master. Let them live among you wherever they like and in whatever town they choose. Do not oppress them. No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute. You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute into the house of the LORD your God to pay any vow, because the LORD your God detests them both. Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest. You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a fellow Israelite, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess. If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth. If you enter your neighbour’s vineyard, you may eat all the grapes you want, but do not put any in your basket. If you enter your neighbour’s grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to their standing grain.’ Deuteronomy 23:15-25
It appears that Moses, here, is speaking about a slave who had run away from their cruel master. These slaves were to be treated kindly and given a place to live.
The Lord then speaks of His intolerance of female and male prostitution, within the congregation of His people, He detests this sinful behaviour, 1 Kings 15:12 / 2 Kings 23:7.
He also says that anyone who attempts to bring any money some, versions use the words ‘the price of a dog’, Revelation 22:15, which was gained by prostitution into His house, was to be rejected because He detests this too.
Israel is commanded not to charge any interest to a fellow Israelite, that is, they weren’t to take financial advantage of someone who had fallen on hard times, Exodus 22:25 / Leviticus 25:35-37.
However, they were free to charge interest to any foreigner who needed financial assistance. The blessings of God were dependent upon whether or not Israel obeyed this command.
The Israelites lawfully offered free will offerings to God and made vows that illustrated a heart that purposed to serve Him with all their heart.
These vows were to be kept as they were a promise to God and those who didn’t keep the vow were recognised as guilty of sin, Ecclesiastes 5:4-5.
Remember, there were no written documents in Israel, and so, when a person spoke something, he or she was to be good for his or her word, James 5:12.
Israel were permitted to eat from their neighbour’s vineyard and grain fields while travelling, but they weren’t permitted to bring a basket with them and fill it, Deuteronomy 24:10-22 / Mark 2:24 / Luke 6:1-5.
