Deuteronomy 19

My lovely wife and I enjoy listening to the Bible being read aloud.   With some artistic license actors can deliver the scriptures with the appropriate emotions the author originally intended.  This particularly helps when listening to many of the narratives in the Bible.  Understanding the emotion of the author when the words were penned can aid proper interpretation and give insight to profitable application. But what about parts of the Bible that aren’t particularly emotional such as the instructive laws given to the Hebrews on their way into the promise land?    How can modern people find application in these highly specialized scriptures meant to govern the ancient country of Israel?

I asked this question has my wife was folding our unborn child’s laundry. (It is quite an amazing feat to already have laundry even before one is born).  My wife’s response was similar to my own and frankly most Christians who have ever labored to find practical meaning in the Old Testament Scriptures.  This difficulty is not because something is wrong with the Bible, but rather it is a discipline that must be mastered through exercise and guidance by the Holy Spirit.

Chapter 19 primarily speaks to the “refuge cities” to be designated for people who may accidentally slay another (v3).  Perhaps two men are working in the field and one man’s axe head flings off the end of his handle and slays his partner.  And perhaps his partners older brother catches word of the incident to which he rage-fully arms himself to exact vengeance on his brothers (accidental) killer.  Will the man responsible be able to calmly reason with the deceased man’s brother that it was just an accident?  Will you reason with someone who wants to kill you and is in a fit of rage? Of course not!

And so the LORD saw to it in situations like these, there would be places of refuge that the accidental slayer would be able to flee.  Upon arriving there, the city officials would safe-gaurd the man’s life until the matter could be properly investigated.  If indeed the killing was accidental, the slayer would be free to remain in the city to avoid the wrath of the avenger.  But if the investigation showed that there is blood guilt on the slayer, that it was more than accidental but even intentional, the city officials were to deliver the man out to the avenger that he may die.

About this time my wife is almost finished with folding our son’s laundry.  So how does she and myself make application of such scriptures?  Does God have any applicable communication for us to attend to in our modern times of police protection and court room rulings?

One must first find the principle that underlies the law.  Why did God give this law? There may be more than one answer.   Immediately I was able to suggest that God’s love is the motive, His love for human life and His willing to protect against the spilling innocent blood (v10).   However, the law also calls for the preeminence of justice, if the slaying were to be found intentional, then justice must be served.

Secondly, God gave this law that He might prevent His people from sinning against Him and potentially disrupting the covenant they had with Him.  New Testament people like the Old Testament people ought to be as equally concerned that we do not sin against the God who loved and died for us, as children desiring to please a loving Father.  As New Testament saints, we are afforded the entirety of the Old Testament canon as well as the New Testament with all the privileges of the indwelling Holy Spirit to ensure our inheritance and safeguard our righteousness purchased by the blood of Christ.

There are more principles to be named I’m sure, but this is a blog and not a book.  With our first principle of love being God’s motivation for giving the laws teaches us theologically the character of God’s love.  Adherence or disobedience the refuge city laws do not benefit negate from God in anyway.  God loves simply because He is that sort of God.  And so our principle for modern day people is this: does my measure of love reach to the same fullness of God’s?  Or if we could say this in statement form, Let us love and bless others to the same degree God so unselfishly loves and blesses.

God’s loving intention was to safeguard life.  The salvation of one life does not benefit God in anyway, but God still concerns Himself with the wellbeing of others, even though the outcome truly holds no prospect of future reward.  Let the measure of God’s love be the standard to which we love and bless others.

Application to this?  Applications are numerable, as numerable are the different kinds of fleeting moments a person encounters, so are the possible application for all the moments of all the people in the world.  Do not seek to do charity for prospect of reward or praise.  Stop to help the man with a flat tire.  Open the door for the elderly lady.  Don’t ignore that phone call you know to be someone that enjoys your company but who is rather annoying. The text also provides another element that might prescribe the kind of love we should be doing: preemptive love.

God gave this law long before He knew there would be a slayer and an avenger.  Long before they entered into their first conquest God prepared this policy because He knew it would happen eventually.  So how well are we at preparing ourselves to act with love when situations arise?  Do you put some change in your pocket before leaving the house because you know you will see that same beggar on the way to work everyday?   Do you place the ladder outside the garage because you know your neighbor will be needing it while finishing some chores in the next few days?  Do you keep a pair of jumper cables in your car, not for your battery, but because some poor fellow you come across will be needing a jump?  Do you keep Gospel tracts with your church’s name on the ready when you might have the opportunity to speak to someone?  These applications can go on and on, the fun part is for you to use some creativity and allow the principle of scripture guide your actions.

Finally and briefly, the second principle I mentioned behind refuge cities is that they are intended to prevent sin from happening (v6).  The principle of this scripture teaches us that there will be incidents in our life that will trigger moments of passion, whether it be rage, sexual, or anything else emotional.  When emotions run high, judgement wanes and can easily give way to hormonal overloads.  While God understands this, He by no means excuses someone for sinning during this fits of passion.  In our case, God by no means excuses the avenger of shedding innocent blood.  And so, are we also preparing similar personal policies that we might not sin against God in our passion?

Again the applications are numerable.  What should you do if someone accidentally hurts your child?  Can you prepare your heart now for such an occasion?  You tend to be extra grumpy and unloving if you don’t have a good night sleep.  Will brewing a dark roast instead of light roast coffee help you be more civil to people through the day?  Are you working on your marriage now so that it will not implode in the future?  Are you preparing for the day of weakness that you might not sin against God?

This list of applications could go on forever, but alas, my pen will not.  I trust however that you can see the adventure of digging for God’s truths and ways in the Old Testament.  The New Testament functions as a commentary of the Old.  If one’s study of the Bible only remains in the New Testament, then such a person will never have the full counsel of God. It is my personal joy to find such wonderful living truths in God’s word.  It is a privilege each to day to labor together with the Holy Spirit in finding them and applying them.

Questions? Comments? Feel welcome to leave your response below.