Moses continues his second speech as he reviews the feast of weeks (Num 28:26-31 Feb 20) and the feast of the tabernacles (Num 29:12-38 Feb 21). The command to appoint judges and their conduct is covered. There were to be judges and officials in every town to mete out justice among the people. The Israelites were reminded never to worship other gods.
Chapter 17 continues with explanation of the laws. All animals which were to be sacrificed were to be perfect and flawless. Evil was not to be tolerated in their towns. This meant that if it was reported that someone was found worshiping other gods, bowing down to them, or the sun, moon or stars, and after investigation they were found guilty with the testimony of two or three witnesses, then they were to be stoned. The first stone was to be thrown by the first witness. If there was only one witness that wasn't enough to warrant death. The commandment not to bear false witness becomes extremely important here.
The Israelites were told that if they wanted a king to rule over them, they would need to be appointed by God. The king had to be an Israelite. He was not to obtain too much wealth, horses or wives. He was to make his own copy of the laws from the scrolls of the Levites. He was to learn the law and revere the Lord. If he was faithful in these things his descendants would reign over the kingdom for a long time.
They were reminded to include the Levites in their offerings to the Lord because they didn't have any other inheritance. Levites could move to a place they felt God had called them and continue their ministry there.
They were admonished to not follow the detestable practices of the people they would conquer. No sacrificing their children to the fire god, no sorcery, no divination, witchcraft, spellcasting, and no consulting with dead people! These practices were common in these nations. God would raise up a prophet from among them to speak for the Lord just as they had asked God to do in Exodus 20:19 (Jan 23). They would know if the prophet spoke the truth if what they said came true.
Cities of refuge are explained as in Numbers 35 (Feb 23). A person called the avenger of blood was to take the life of a murderer. I was curious about this person, what I found was a description in the New Living Translation of this person as the victim's nearest living relative. So if a person killed someone accidentally, they would run to their nearest city of refuge to await their trial. Once they had reached the city they were safe. If someone deliberately killed someone and ran to the city of refuge, the elders of the city they came from could call them back and hand them over to the avenger of blood to die. They were to show no pity to the guilty. Innocent blood was never to be deliberately shed.
A person was never to move his neighbor's boundary stone which marked his inheritance. (That would be stealing.)
A single witness was not enough to convict a man of a crime. The matter was to be decided with the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Again the law was very clear; life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Tomorrow read Deuteronomy 20-23:14
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