Study Questions:

1. God prohibited His people from cutting their skin, or shaving their heads for the dead, as the surrounding pagans did. Why? Deuteronomy 14:2

2. How does this relate to the widespread practice of tattoos today? After all, we are no longer under the ceremonial law, what do you think?

Commentary and Reflection:

Some question why God allowed the people of Israel to do things that are prohibited to us today, and even worse, they desire to apply this permissiveness to their practices. Now, through Christ, we have much more light than those before us; it is expected of us a higher level of maturity. The indulgences given to them should not be seen as open doors for us to indulge our sinful desires.

In today’s reading it talks of “cider and wine” that they consumed. There will be those who affirm that these were with no fermentation, but the reality was that they were fermented, and they used to drink them! There was only one wine that was not fermented, it is called “new wine” (see Deut. 7:13), although the people on the Day of Pentecost accused the disciples of being drunk because they said, they were “filled with new wine” (Acts 2:13).

How is this possible? Proponents of the health message might be concerned. No, my beloved! Let us consider how fortunate we are, as we have greater understating of health principles to preserve our health.

Truth is that the Bible does not beat around the bushes when telling the good and the bad about people. That’s why it speaks plainly of Noah’s drunkenness as well as its sad results. We better be wise and learn the lessons!

It also speaks of the practice of slavery. This was very widespread, both in the times of the Old and New Testaments. Obviously, God cared that the slaves were treated well, unlike the pagan peoples. Slavery, according to the law of Moses, was a solution for Israelites strangled by debts. An Israelite could submit to slavery to the person to whom he owed; he could do it on his own initiative or by order of the judge. He would work for his creditor for half the salary he would pay to a regular employee. But… here comes the difference! He would not be a slave forever; he would work only six years, for at the seventh, he would be set free. But not only that, the one who enslaved him would not let him go “empty-handed” (Deut. 15:13, 14). How good it would be if a similar practice was in place for slaves of today, that is of credit cards!

Another law of that time was that of divorce. According to the male chauvinist culture of the time, if a woman overcooked the food, the husband could divorce her. Ha! Nowadays, if a man complains because his wife cooking, she can tell him, “No way, Frank, next time, you cook!”. (This is a joke… or is it?).

The pagan peoples of the time repudiated their wives for anything, and the wives were left with nothing; but the Mosaic Law promoted a revolution in social laws. According to Moses the husband had to give her a “certificate of divorce.” This meant that she would receive a portion of her dowry to start her new life. Jesus explained that this law was a concession by God due to the “hardness of the hearth”. (Matthew 19:3-9).

Well, I just wanted to emphasize that these practices, apparently advantageous for Israel of old, are not allowed for us today as a people with a greater light, having Jesus as our Savior under a New Covenant.

I wish you great blessings in your study today!