Did you catch the heart of what God has presented in the Law in these chapters? Some of them are difficult to understand!
The shedding of innocent blood imposed guilt of innocent blood in the midst of the land and the people, which must be purged, “that it may go well with” them. Yet God was at least as concerned, perhaps more concerned, that innocent people were not punished for crimes they didn’t commit, evidenced in the cities of refuge and the roads He required to be built to make them readily accessible, and the requirement of two or three witnesses for conviction. That would likely mean that some crimes didn’t get purged according to the remedy of “life for life.” What does that teach you about God?
They were permitted to offer terms of peace to the inhabitants of cities outside their inheritance against whom they went to war. If the city accepted the terms, they were permitted to save the women and children as spoils of war, but kill all the men. But the cities within the boundaries of the Promised Land had to be utterly destroyed “in order that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God.” It was a matter of God’s judgment on these people and Israel’s survival in the land.
How does the concept of bloodguiltiness relate to the utter destruction of the Canaanites? How does one reconcile God’s obvious rejection of murder, with His command to destroy completely the Canaanites? It’s worth contemplating, because modern man finds difficulty in the reconciliation and will use it as an excuse to reject God, reject Scripture as an authority, and reject anyone who doesn’t share their confusion. Satan can use it as a weapon to make you doubt God’s goodness. I encourage you to seek full understanding from God on the matter, because only His answers can vanquish such doubts. I will offer one word that might make the analysis seem worthwhile to you: justice.
On the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed. This became an important principle for any matter of vital truth. It’s a good rule to follow for our acceptance of truth today.
Justice required that they should “not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” Does that clarify matters of justice today?
“Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before (your enemies arrayed in battle before you), for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” God meant that, as funny as it seems to one who can’t comprehend approaching battle with anything but fear, trembling and a faint heart. That would eliminate me from their armed forces, for God meant it so absolutely that He told them to send home any soldier who was afraid. God didn’t have any use in His army for a fearful soldier. What about the battles we’re fighting today? It’s no different for us as soldiers fighting alongside God. Do you have fear that you must deal with today?
God stressed that the evil must be removed from their midst. The method given here of removing evil from their midst required parents of a stubborn and rebellious son to report him and throw the first stone in killing him. That was a drastic step to be taken to remove the evil from their midst. God really meant that command, too. Knowing that requirement meant that parents took a grave risk with their children’s lives in failing to train them to be disciplined. There were no excuses offered for rebellious children. If it was possible in that day to train children to be disciplined, is it also possible in our day?
Helping the owner of what was lost to recover his property taught the Israelites that they were not to ignore the needs and predicaments of others. What a concept. Building a parapet taught that they couldn’t be neglectful of others’ safety.
Forbidding mixtures in fibers and fields seems odd to us. One of the possible principles associated with this command was to avoid the appearance of adherence to pagan practices. Or it possibly had to do with keeping distinct what God had created distinct.
Keeping genders distinct, acknowledging the first-born with the double-portion inheritance to which he was entitled, and many other of these requirements taught the Israelites that God’s people were to do what is right, and not simply what they felt like doing.
Do any of these requirements reveal God’s desire for His people that speak to you in a particular (or particularly painful) way today? Why not ask God what He thinks?