Unsolved Murders, Captured Women & Rebellious Sons

INTRO

Yesterday in Deuteronomy 20, we learned about the Israelites’ preparations for war. The army wasn’t formed until the book of Numbers, but they were given the manual in advance.

TEACHING

Deuteronomy 21:1–9: Chapter 21 begins with explaining what to do if a murder victim is found in the land God had given them and gives practical instructions for how to handle it. Wiersbe says the sin had “defiled the land.”¹If there was blood on the land, someone would have to atone for it. If a victim was found, the judges and elders were to measure the distance to nearby cities to see who would have to take responsibility for the victim (v. 2). Unresolved issues could bring about serious problems for that land (Genesis 4:10–12; 9:5–6; Hebrews 12:24; Psalm 9:12; and Isaiah 26:21).

The elders of the city nearest the victim were to get a young cow that hadn’t been yoked or used (v. 3) and bring the cow down to a continually flowing stream and break its neck (v. 4). The priest was instructed to come forward and pronounce a blessing and give a ruling (v. 5). Then all the elders were to wash their hands in the stream over the young cow (v. 6). Wiersbe says that they were removing the impurity that would rest on the community and that they needed to atone for their guilt by breaking the neck and offering this cow.²The elders were cleansing themselves of defilement (Leviticus 18:24-25). They were instructed to declare, “Our hands did not shed this blood and our eyes did not see it,” and they would be absolved of the responsibility for the bloodshed (v. 7). Sin leads to death. This is what Jesus did for us. Jesus died for our sins like the cow died here (Romans 6:23; 5:12; Hebrews 9:13–14; John 1:29; 1 John 4:14; Ephesians 5:25–26; Isaiah 53:8). Jesus died for Israel.

The Israelites’ prayer was for God to forgive His people and not to hold this against them (v. 8). They were also told to purge themselves from the guilt of shedding innocent blood (v. 9). The only way we can now shed ourselves of the sin we’ve done is to turn to Christ and the blood He shed for us.

Deuteronomy 21:10–14: Verses 10–14 give instructions for the fair treatment of captured women. The Israelites were told that while at war, if they saw an enemy’s wife and wanted her as their own, they were to take her home, shave her head, and trim her nails (vv. 10–12). Then she was to remove her former clothes, live in the Israelite’s house, and mourn for her parents for 30 days. When the 30 days were over, the Israelite could take the woman as his wife (v. 13). If the Israelite was not satisfied, he was to let her go, but could not sell her for money (v. 14). They had a way to get out of the marriage, but not by selling the wife.

Deuteronomy 21:15–17: Verses 15–17 spell out the rights of the firstborn children. When a man had two wives, one loved and one unloved, both with two sons, and the unloved wife’s son was the firstborn, he could show no favoritism over the second son (vv. 15–16). Instead, the man had to acknowledge the firstborn by birth order and give him a double portion of his inheritance (v. 17).

Deuteronomy 21:18–21: The final instructions were about dealing with a rebellious son—a problem child (v. 18). If a rebellious son would not listen to his mother or father and refused to change with punishment, then his parents were to bring him to a city gate where the elders were (v.19). After telling the elders that their son was stubborn and rebellious, a glutton and a drunkard, the men of the city would stone him to death (v. 20–21). They were told to purge the evil from themselves and all of Israel. Wiersbe pointed out that the sin of one person could impact the entire nation.³

In the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-13), the son was rebellious, took his inheritance, and left to live a wicked life. When the son came back, the father went out and embraced him (Luke 15:20). He probably should have been stoned. When Jesus gave this picture, His audience would have known the penalty the son should have faced. But with the father’s embrace, the son was safe from that penalty. The Father is holding us in His arms, so we don’t get the death that we deserve.

Deuteronomy 21:22–21: If anyone is found guilty of an offense deserving death and is executed, you must hang the body on a tree, take him down that night and bury him. Anyone hung on a tree was under God’s curse. The intent was to bring fear to the Israelites for disobedience to God’s law. The chapter ends with the statement that they must not defile the land God had given them as an inheritance.

CLOSING

Only one person took that place for us. Jesus took on the curse, and He hung on a tree:

Galatians 3:13: “‘Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written: Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed.” Jesus takes on the cursing so we can have the blessing.

Act 5:30: “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had murdered by hanging Him on a tree.”

1 Peter 2:24: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; you have been healed by His wounds.”

Jesus heals us by taking on the curse. Christ redeemed us. He himself bore our sins. The law always points to the Messiah.