#349 Better Than

If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.

2 And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.

3 Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

4 Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.

6 And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.

7 And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.

8 Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her;

9 Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house.

10 And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.

11 When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets:

12 Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her.

13 Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.

14 Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.

15 But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

16 For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God.

17 Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;

18 How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.

19 Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it. Deuteronomy 25 KJV

Let the punishment fit the crime and I say that looking at verse 2, where yes, justice should be found for the righteous, but the condemned are first made to lie down. In researching this, it is to protect the man's face and privates. The beating is also according to his fault and with a number of corresponding lashes. 40 was the maximum, lest ye kill the man and also that he not lose the image of God before you. Punishment is a just thing but we must be humane. There is a punishment that is tied to this life and that is death. Sometimes there is by nature the realization of wrong doing, immediately following the act, like stirring up a bee hive or sticking your hand in the fire. We should never be in haste, and empathy should be high but not cause one to leave from what is right. That reason to which I see a man beaten, I should repent of in myself for everything is founded in a sinful nature, an arrogance against an almighty and righteous God.

Do not muzzle the ox as he treads the grain, but let him eat the fruits of his labor. I can admit to having enough to get by on, fed in the morning and then again at night, but here it goes above the basic need to the kindness that beams from appreciation. The ox that treads, the horse whose back carries me along, or the duck upon my plate. I appreciate them, and I am thankful to God for these things that work for me and nourish me, so I pay respect by not being cruel and show love by rewarding him in his work. 

This message from Moses continues with the law unto widows which stems from a tradition of that time in that part of the world. This can be seen in Genesis with Judah and God's displeasure with his son who was to raise up seed with Tamar the widow of his brother. Marriage bought this woman out from the care of her family to a new place and new family; this tradition provided to their care, that they be not tossed away, forgotten and alone. It allowed her a family of her own and the continuance of her husband's name, which would be more to her than his brother, for she would have children to see her through old age and to inherit her husband's portion. If the brother of the man would not do this for her, then under this law he was publically disgraced, refusing to help his brother's house, to care for his widow. Judah did not honor this law and treated it lightly, but what good are laws that no one abides to or his held to justice against? Under Moses law, it allows the brother to refuse, but it is disgraceful, yet better for the widow maybe than a husband so set against such arrangement. 

The next part appears to be about a wife that helps her husband in a struggle against another man, but this apparently does not excuse an instance involving his privates. Some old writers talk of the necessity of modesty, and others a virtue that is to be upheld even in a situation that would seem to excuse the lack, the indiscretion or even intent. Apparently the damage was in excess of the situation between the two men, and some old writings understand the hand to be the equivalent for the loss of the genitalia in such a struggle. I am not certain in this but often we will defend the one that is a part of us or family, or friend which does not always look to what or who is actually right or wrong in the matter. While I pity her the hand, it does say not to, so it is difficult to fully understand what is taking place here.

Greed, the sin of every age and common to all people, skimming off a bit more and justifying it in your mind. So many laws are in place because of this. There are gas stations that have been in trouble for pumping less than what is displayed and of course paid for. There have been great deals by the pound, but the scales were not true. All lies and disgusting, for what you do to your fellow man, made in the image of God, is against God. Be honest in your dealings and seek the best for your fellow man, find the true reward.

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother[c] will be liable to judgment; whoever insults[d] his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell[e] of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.[f]

Lust

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Divorce

31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. Matthew 5: 21-37 ESV