SCRIPTURE: DEUTERONOMY 24
BIBLE VERSES:
“When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow” (Deuteronomy 24:19-21)
OTHER COMMANDS OF THE LORD (vs. 1-22)
- If a man divorces his wife he must not marry her after she had married another man. (vs. 1-4)
- A newly married man is exempted from going to war for one year. (v. 5)
- Do not take a pair of millstones – not even the upper one – as security for a debt, because that would be taking a man’s livelihood as security. (v. 6)
- A kidnapper who kidnaps one of his brother Israelites and treats him as a slave or sells him must die (v. 70
Follow what the Levite priest instruct you to do with leprous diseases. (v. 8) - Let the man to whom you are making the loan bring the pledge to you. Do not go into his house to get it. (vs. 10-12)
- Return the cloak a poor man pledged to you by sunset so that he may sleep in it. *v. 13)
- Do not take advantage of a poor and needy hired man. Pay him his wages each day before sunset. (v. 14)
- The father shall not die for the sins of his son and the son shall not die for the sins of his father. Each is to die to his own sin. (v. 16)
- Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice or take the cloak of the widow as pledge. (v. 17)
- While harvesting in your field and you overlooked a sheaf, olives of grapes, do not go back to get it. leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. (vs. 19-21)
THOUGHTS:
Divorce was a permanent and final act for the couple. Once divorced and remarried to others, they could never be remarried to each other. This restriction was to prevent casual remarriage after a frivolous separation. This was to make people think twice before divorcing.
The prohibition for newly married man to go to army service is to avoid placing an excessive burden upon a new unproven relationship. At least they were given a year’s time to let their marriage grow strong and protect their relationship from any outside pressure and distractions. Do not expect or demand so much from the newly weds so as to allow them adequate time and energy to establish their marriage.
God told His people to treat the poor and needy justly. We must do all we can to help the needy and treat them fairly.
God’s people were instructed to leave some of the harvest in the fields for the travelers and the poor. We are supposed to share our blessing to those unfortunates.