The assembly, the camp, and others

Order of Service

Welcome

Prayer

Hymn -

Notices

Prayer Meeting - 7:30pm

Friday 7pm - Online

Sunday Morning 11am & 6pm

Tithes & Offerings - £

Main Prayer

Hymn -

Reading

Deuteronomy 23 ESV

“No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord. “No one born of a forbidden union may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of his descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord. “No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever, because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. But the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam; instead the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loved you. You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever. “You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were a sojourner in his land. Children born to them in the third generation may enter the assembly of the Lord. “When you are encamped against your enemies, then you shall keep yourself from every evil thing. “If any man among you becomes unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he shall go outside the camp. He shall not come inside the camp, but when evening comes, he shall bathe himself in water, and as the sun sets, he may come inside the camp. “You shall have a place outside the camp, and you shall go out to it. And you shall have a trowel with your tools, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig a hole with it and turn back and cover up your excrement. Because the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you. “You shall not give up to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. He shall dwell with you, in your midst, in the place that he shall choose within one of your towns, wherever it suits him. You shall not wrong him. “None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, and none of the sons of Israel shall be a cult prostitute. You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute or the wages of a dog into the house of the Lord your God in payment for any vow, for both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God. “You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest. You may charge a foreigner interest, but you may not charge your brother interest, that the Lord your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth. “If you go into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, as many as you wish, but you shall not put any in your bag. If you go into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain.

Sermon

Entering the Assembly of the Lord

Deuteronomy 23:1–8 ESV

“No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord. “No one born of a forbidden union may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of his descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord. “No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever, because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. But the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam; instead the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loved you. You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever. “You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were a sojourner in his land. Children born to them in the third generation may enter the assembly of the Lord.

The Assembly [congregation] - Worship in the Tabernacle

Translated church in new testament

Banned

Ritual Mutilation

No Ammonite or Moabite (sort to bring curse upon Israel)

Children born as a result of ritual prostitution (to the 10th generation)

Edomite or Egyptian - do not abhor -3rd generation may enter

No treaties (seek peace or their prosperity) with other nations - they must not benefit from God’s People

Many joined them when they left Egypt

There would be some among them that already would be allowed

The church is not open to all without question (not a public building)

those involved in idolatrous rituals

those who seek God’s people harm

or those who are agnostitic

Holiness in the Camp

Deuteronomy 23:9–14 ESV

“When you are encamped against your enemies, then you shall keep yourself from every evil thing. “If any man among you becomes unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he shall go outside the camp. He shall not come inside the camp, but when evening comes, he shall bathe himself in water, and as the sun sets, he may come inside the camp. “You shall have a place outside the camp, and you shall go out to it. And you shall have a trowel with your tools, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig a hole with it and turn back and cover up your excrement. Because the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you.

Encamped against your enemy

Keep yourself from every evil thing

Nocturnal emission

go outside the camp

when evening comes (therefore clear of issues) wash and then enter the camp as sun sets

Bowel Movements

outside the camp, use a trowel dig a hole and bury it after

Camp must be holy, and no indecent thing among you

The Lord is in the midst of your cam, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you

Excellent hygiene advice

Commands given for holiness and ritual purity

Christians should have high standards of behaviour and decency, for we serve a great and holy God

Responsibilities towards Others

Deuteronomy 23:15–25 ESV

“You shall not give up to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. He shall dwell with you, in your midst, in the place that he shall choose within one of your towns, wherever it suits him. You shall not wrong him. “None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, and none of the sons of Israel shall be a cult prostitute. You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute or the wages of a dog into the house of the Lord your God in payment for any vow, for both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God. “You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest. You may charge a foreigner interest, but you may not charge your brother interest, that the Lord your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth. “If you go into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, as many as you wish, but you shall not put any in your bag. If you go into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain.

Slaves would run away due to ill-treament

Seeking sanctury they should receive it

Not be handed back to the master

Shall not be wronged

live amongst you where it suits him

No woman, or man, to be a cult prostitute

No fee for prostetution or wages of a dog [males prostetute] to be brought into the house of the Lord in payment for any vow

Money for God’s work must be earned in a reputable manner

All God’s people should view each others as members of the same family

No interest to be charged to your brother

Loan

money

food

item

or anything lent for interest

Any promised must be fulfilled and without delay

your promise it to God

to not do so is sin

be careful about what passes your lips

Welfare

Neighbours Vineyard - eat your fill, but must not put any in your bag

Neighbours Field - pluck ears with your hand, but cannot use a sickle

Christians too should be glad to share and willing to help one another in times of need

Hymn -

Q&A

Hymn -

Closing Prayer

Doxology