March 2, 2010 Deuteronomy 20-23:14

Moses continued speaking to the Israelites about various laws and punishments.
They were not to be afraid of going into battle against an army larger or better equipped than theirs because the Lord would fight their enemies.
A soldier was excused from battle for the following reasons:
-If he had built a new house that wasn't dedicated
-If he had planted a new vineyard and not begun to enjoy it
-If he was engaged to be married
-If he was scared
-After marching to the city to attack, they were to make the people an offer of peace. If they accepted, they would be subject to forced labor. If they did not make peace then all the men were to be killed. The women, children and animals were to be plunder for the Israelites. God didn't want the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites civilizations to continue. They were to be completely destroyed because they did things that made God mad. God told them to destroy everything that breathes. They were told to save the trees which bore fruit for food. The trees that did not could be used to make tools for war.
-If there was an unsolved murder a heifer was to be taken to a valley that had not been plowed and by a flowing stream, her neck broken. They were to wash their hands over the heifer and declare that they did not shed the blood or see it done. This was to atone for the one who had been killed.
-If a man saw a captive woman he wanted as a wife he was to bring her to his house. She was to shave her head and trim her nails, and take off her prisoner's clothes and mourn her parents an entire month. Then he could be with her. If he didn't like her after all she was set free and allowed to go where she wanted.
-If a man had two wives and loved one and not the other and they each had a son, if the firstborn son belonged to the wife he didn't love then the birthright was to remain with the oldest son because that son is the first sign of his father's strength. (Not what happened with Jacob and Esau...)
-These laws were hard on anyone rebelling against their parents. Biblical tough love involves death! If your son was too rebellious and would not obey you then you could take him to the elders and report him and all the men of the town would stone him to death. The evil was to be purged from among them.
-Anyone hanged was not to be left hanging overnight.
-If someone found something that didn't belong to them, it was to be kept until it could be returned to it's rightful owner whether it was an animal or a coat, it wasn't to be ignored.
-If an animal had fallen on the road, they were to stop and help get it to it's feet.
-No cross-dressing. Men weren't to wear women's clothes and women weren't to wear men's clothes.
-Don't remove a mother bird sitting in a nest.
-Fence in the roof of a house so guests won't fall off and bring guilt.
-Plant only one kind of seed in fields.
-Don't plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together.
-Don't wear clothing woven with both linen and wool.
-Tassels were to be put on the four corners of coats.
-If a man marries a woman and doesn't like her and lies about her virtue he shall be punished. If she lies about her virtue she would be stoned to death.
-If a man rapes a girl, she is not at fault, as long as she screams for help.
-If a man rapes a girl he must marry her and cannot divorce her.
-A man was not to marry his father's wife, dishonoring his father's bed.
-A man missing his male anatomy was excluded from the assembly. Also Ammonites and Moabites were excluded. Edomites and Egyptians were ok.
-Camps were not to be defiled. Men having nocturnal emissions had to leave the camp until evening. The soldiers were to bury their excrement at the designated place outside the camp.

Tomorrow read Deuteronomy 23:15-27:10