The chapter starts with a list of various exclusions from the assembly. Those excluded were people who had been castrated, those born of a forbidden marriage, and Ammonites and Moabites.
What are we to make of all this? Well first of all it is worth reading Isaiah 56 where it says that eunuchs and foreigners will be welcome in the assembly. So this is only a temporary prohibition. Perhaps the best way to look at is to see it as the types of things that are not part of the kingdom. We see in the Law a picture of what the kingdom is like in terms of principles and standards, but the Law was powerless to deal with man's sinfulness and brokenness. So we see here various groups of sinful and broken people. In Christ sinners are forgiven and the brokenhearted are healed.
In verse 7 and 8 we see two groups who were not permanently excluded. Now both groups were enemies of Israel, but they were not permanently excluded because of Israel's relationship to them. In the case of Edom it was a blood relationship, in the case of Egypt she had lived there.
Next we get instructions on nocturnal emisions (wet dreams) and dealing with excrement. What a wonderful book the Bible is! Anytime anyone starts getting too prim and proper they should be sent to mediate on these verse for a week, and then deliver a teaching on it! Just a suggestion.
Similarly verses 15 and 16 are useful for those who think the Bible promotes slavery. It most certainly does not.
Prostitution is forbidden. There are those who say that prostitution should be treated like any other "profession". This is nonsense. Prostitution is always involved with the exploitation of people, and is demeaning, both to the prostitute and "client". God created us with a better purpose in mind.
We need to be careful what we say. Vows and promises are very serious matters.
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