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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Tuesday, 13 May 2025:
Deuteronomy 21:1–9 – “If in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess someone is found slain, lying in the open country, and it is not known who killed him, then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure the distance to the surrounding cities. And the elders of the city that is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer that has never been worked and that has not pulled in a yoke. And the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley. Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the LORD, and by their word every dispute and every assault shall be settled. And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, and they shall testify, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it shed. Accept atonement, O LORD, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, so that their blood guilt be atoned for.’ So you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD.”
This passage shows God’s seriousness about innocent blood and communal responsibility. Even when no one knows who committed the crime, the community is accountable to respond with justice, repentance, and a plea for atonement. In God’s eyes, apathy is never an option. Indifference toward injustice is sin.
The symbolic act of breaking the heifer’s neck in a valley no one cultivates, followed by the elders washing their hands, is both a declaration of innocence and an appeal for mercy. It foreshadows the need for a perfect atoning sacrifice—not just for what we’ve done, but for the sin we cannot fully trace or understand.
In Christ, this longing for cleansing and communal righteousness is fulfilled. Jesus is our ultimate sacrifice for all sin—seen and unseen. His blood cleanses the guilt we don’t even know how to confess. The Church must take the sin in its midst seriously—not merely individual but communal, cultural, and generational sin. And yet, we approach God with confidence, knowing that Christ has “made purification for sins” (Hebrews 1:3).
- 1 John 1:7 – “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
- James 5:16 – “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”
- Galatians 6:1-2 – “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness… Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
This is a call for the Church to live not as isolated individuals but as a spiritual family deeply concerned about the spiritual condition of one another. In Christ-centered community, we take ownership for one another’s burdens, healing, and restoration.
Deuteronomy 21:10-14 – “But if you no longer delight in her, you shall let her go where she wants. But you shall not sell her for money, nor shall you treat her as a slave, since you have humiliated her.”
In ancient times, wars were total wars, wars of annihilation. The general concept was that enemies would be completely destroyed in order to avoid any chance of retaliation and to avoid any syncretism, the blending of cultures. The Old Testament describes God’s direction to His people during this specific time and situation where captives who were spared from death in war, and who submitted to terms of surrender would be ultimately integrated into the society without them having a negative impact on the culture. Even captives were given certain rights, protections, and comforts, such as the right to mourn the deaths of their loved ones after battle. God did not allow captives to be dehumanized. Mercy, grace, and reconciliation have always been God’s way.
This passage is not endorsing impulsive or coercive relationships, but rather regulating ancient warfare customs to protect the dignity and humanity of a captured woman. The required waiting period allowed emotional space, cultural integration, and a measure of choice. The command to release her freely if the marriage did not work out reflects God’s concern for the vulnerable and His demand that power not be abused.
The New Testament teaches us to honor every person made in God’s image and to treat them not as objects or means to an end, but as beloved souls. In Christ, there is no longer male or female, slave or free (Galatians 3:28). The way we treat people—especially the vulnerable—reveals our spiritual maturity.
- Philippians 2:3–4 – “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
- 1 Timothy 5:2 – “Treat younger women as sisters, in all purity.”
In a Christ-centered community, no one is disposable. Everyone is a brother or sister. And love, purity, and sacrificial service must shape all relationships.
Deuteronomy 21:15–17 – “If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.”
God commands impartiality and justice, even in messy family dynamics. This law guards against favoritism and reinforces the principle that blessings and responsibilities should not be distributed based on emotion, but according to truth and righteousness.
This speaks powerfully to our call as spiritual family not to play favorites, and to resist making decisions based on preference rather than principle. In the Church, every member is equally valuable, and every act of leadership must reflect God’s impartial love.
- James 2:1 – “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.”
- Romans 2:11 – “For God shows no partiality.”
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 – If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, and they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
Again, though this is very harsh guidance for God’s people for a specific and harsh time and place in their history, the general principles of parental responsibility and accountability still stand. God expects parents to hold their children accountable to the law. God expects parents to take the lead in demanding justice, preferring right and wrong over familial loyalties.
Deuteronomy 21:22–23 – “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.”
This final section finds ultimate fulfillment in the crucifixion of Christ. Paul references this very passage in Galatians 3:13:
- Galatians 3:13 – “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.’”
Jesus, the sinless Son, took the curse we deserved so we could receive the inheritance He earned. The one who was hung on a tree and taken down before nightfall fulfilled the law’s shadow with the glory of grace.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 13 May 2025: What injustice, sin, or grief have you learned to ignore because you didn’t feel responsible? Today, meditate upon Deuteronomy 21:1–9 and ask the Holy Spirit to awaken you to any spiritual indifference in your heart. Then reflect on Galatians 6:1–2 and ask God how you can bear the burdens of someone around you who is weary or walking in sin. Write down one action step you can take this week to pursue Christlike community: whether confessing a hidden struggle, confronting sin in love, or showing honor where the world shows neglect. Christ bore your curse to make you His beloved. Don’t live like you’re alone. Link arms with others and walk in the light.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 