Pages

Saturday 26 August 2023

Deuteronomy 24:8-13 - In cases of defiling skin diseases

24:8,9

People were instructed to take skin diseases very seriously, and follow the instructions of the priest to the letter. That was because the priests were following the instructions given by God Himself. They are then told to remember what happened to Miriam (Num 12:1-12). Miriam and Aaron opposed Moses and as a result Miriam became leprous. So it was possible that a skin disease was a result of sin, and if so the person needed to take the sin seriously.


24:10-13

These instructions are based on the same premise as 24:6. The poor were to be treated with respect and their dignity preserved. So the person making the loan was not to go into the poor person’s house, thus implying that they no longer had any rights. Instead they were to wait outside. Moreover, a pledge, such as a cloak, was not to be kept overnight, the person might need it to sleep in. If the lender acted in such a way as to respect the poor person, then it would be regarded as a righteous act. Note that the instructions do not pretend that the poor person is not in need. This is not socialism!


No comments:

Post a Comment