Good morning guys. Deuteronomy chapter 22.
In this chapter I see God being concerned about mixing two different things together. He mentioned how the Israelites should not plant two different kinds of seeds together. It appears that one seed would overpower another seed and cause the production of one to be poor or even perhaps both of them to be poor production.
He also said don't plow a field with an ox and donkey bound together or yoked together. Again it appears that the ox, being stronger, could wear down the donkey. Again one would affect the other.
Lastly, God said do not mix two fabrics in one's clothes. Not sure of his reasoning but perhaps one would cause discomfort to the skin or cause the body to sweat.
There is definitely a spiritual implication here that is also mentioned in 2nd Corinthians 6:14 where it says do not be bound together with unbelievers for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness or what fellowship has light with darkness.
This is not just an issue with one marrying an unbeliever but it also is an issue of who we choose to hang out with.
2nd Corinthians 15:33 also says do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals.
It's difficult to live a righteous life with Christ if we're going to hang out with unbelievers. Not that we shouldn't love them and reach out to them, but our decision to be bound to them in our everyday living is going to eventually affect us spiritually.
Perhaps we get a high school flashback. Perhaps we can all remember certain friends we hung out with that affected our spiritual well-being.
We need to be smart and take care of ourselves physically and spiritually. We must be careful of the decisions we make and be aware of the consequences so that we don't let ourselves be worn down physically and spiritually by our bad decisions.
Chapter 22 includes more laws and the purging of evil. This comes as no surprise, but some parts might seem strange to us now with it being a whole different culture back then. There were certain crimes with consequences that depended on the location of the crime. For example a woman could either be considered a victim or a criminal based on whether that particular crime took place in the city or out in the country.
As I thought about the purging of evil, I was reminded of what we see in 1 Timothy 6:9-10. “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
We can’t serve two masters as we read in Luke 16:13-15. “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”
There is so much treasure available in Romans 12. Here’s what we read in verses 9-13. “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
If you see your fellow Israelite’s ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to its owner.
(I am that way with lost dogs…I learned from my parents.
2nd Corinthians 15:33 also says do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals.
I like the football staff I’m coaching with this year
This is one of those scriptures that people who are nonbelievers bring up or culture Christians bring up to defend their choices of sin. They use the two fabrics in one shirt or more than one seed in a field to say other points made in the Bible shouldn’t be taken seriously like homosexuality. I heard it said more than once by people who disagree with some biblical teaching and want to give the same weight of sin to wearing a shirt with two different fabrics to say, sex before marriage.
Sometimes it’s hard to understand just exactly what God is trying to teach us through His Word but it is so important that we be open and listen. That we don’t use verses like this against what He is teaching us. It’s hard to navigate through convincing and arguing points to nonbelievers. In my experience my hope is that I spark something in them that makes a small tiny part of them start to believe, especially those who have been in the faith and left it. I know to be strong I must keep familiarizing myself with the word. Thank you all!