Deuteronomy 20-21

Intro

PREPARING FOR WAR is necessary for any nation.

God needed to give rules for the conduct of war for the new nation of Israel.

When we go to war we do not discard Biblical principles.

Military personnel cannot separate their religious life from their military life.

For Christians, military life is part of their religious life.

To us today this passage can play a dual role.

It gives guidelines for the conduct of war, but it also gives guidelines on how we should face other battles that we face.

The Christian life is often described using battle language (2 Corinthians 10:3, 4; Ephesians 6:10–18; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7).

2 Cor 10:3-4 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

1 Tim 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

We can learn something about God’s approach to the battles we encounter in life by looking at his rules for war given in Deuteronomy 20.

Read Deuteronomy 20:1-4

I. Rules for Warfare vs. 1-19

vs. 1-4 Do not fear

Moses is aware that the enemies the Israelites face are, humanly speaking, more powerful than they are.

He says, “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” (20:1).

Horses and chariots were the pride of the great ancient Near-Eastern armies.

They could produce a severe sense of inferiority among the Israelites who had no opportunity to acquire such resources during their wilderness wanderings.

In our personal and corporate lives we all face situations when we seem to be weak in comparison to the challenge we face.

Organizations and churches face financial crises, battles with government officials and policies, internal dissent, insufficient personnel to carry out essential tasks, and organized opposition such as persecution or slander.

Individuals face the opposition of jealous colleagues who have become their rivals, persecution from family members who do not follow Christ, slander by opponents of the unpopular stands they have taken, and a host of other hostile situations.

If we focus our attention primarily on the bigness of the opposition, we would lose heart and give up the project because of the odds that are stacked up against us.

vs. 2-4 When you are on the verge of battle:

At this critical time, it was the job of the priest to encourage the soldiers to trust in God.

Though the priests were not normally to go into battle themselves (they were not numbered among the fighting men of Israel, Numbers 1:47-53), the priests still had an important job when Israel went to war – to spiritually teach and encourage the soldiers!

The LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you: This was the reason for courage. When Israel was obedient, and trusting in God, they could never lose. But when they were disobedient, or not trusting, they could never win – even if they had superior forces.

vs. 5-9 Exemptions

Reading these verses make you think you are reading the story of Gideon from Judges

Whoever is afraid or busy can go home

This shows us that God can use those who are available, no matter how small, better than he can the masses who feel obligated

God first told the officers of the army of Israel to send home all the soldiers who had unfinished business at home: a home he has not used, a vineyard he has not harvested, or an engaged woman he has not married – let them go home.

Next, the officers of Israel were to send home all who were fearful and fainthearted.

They might just make the others fearful also! In the spiritual army of God, He only wants willing, brave soldiers.

When the officers have finished speaking to the people:

God was perfectly willing to use those who were left after the officers had excused all of those under the previous two conditions.

Both of these exemptions – remarkable among any army – were a powerful testimony that Israel trusted in God for military victory, not in their own ability to raise a mighty, large army.

To God, the size of the army wasn’t important; the heart of the army was far more important.

He didn’t want people who might be distracted from the real battle by worrying about the cares of everyday life (their home, their vineyard, their fiancée’); nor did He want people who were not really trusting Him.

God could do more through a smaller army that was really committed to Him than through a bigger army that was full of compromise.

The story of Gideon (Judges 7) is a powerful illustration of this; Gideon started with an army of 32,000, but it was too big – so he sent home those who were afraid, and 22,000 left!

But it was still too big, so God had him send home 7,700 more, so he only had an army of 300 to fight against a Midianite army of 135,000! Yet God gave him the victory.

vs. 10-18 Making Peace

When you go near a city to fight against it:

The following verses describe the normal battle procedures for Israel.

There were many times when God gave specific instructions which would supersede these normal instructions, such as with the battle of Jericho or the conquest of Canaan in general.

Proclaim an offer of peace:

It was important that Israel did not fight unnecessarily.

If the city would agree to terms of peace, then they should come to an agreement.

It shall be placed under tribute to you:

The conquered city would be made a tribute city to Israel, subservient to the nation of Israel.

vs. 19-20 Save the Trees

When you besiege a city for a long time:

When an army surrounded a city during a siege, the army would forage around the countryside for supplies.

Needing wood for building and fuel, it would be common for the besieging army to cut down trees in the area around the city.

Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down:

However, God commanded Israel against cutting down trees for food when they besieged a city.

They had to take a long-term view (one good for the ecology) and see that their immediate need for wood was less important than the long-term good of the area.

II. Atonement for Unsolved Murders vs. 1-9

Vs. 1 If anyone is found slain:

Presumably, death from natural causes had been ruled out and it was evident that the deceased had been murdered; yet, it was not known who killed him.

It is not know who killed him:

This was important based on a principle stated in

Numbers 35:33-34 You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.”

This passage shows that the blood of unsolved, unavenged murder defiles and pollutes the land.

Therefore, if there is a murder unavenged, some kind of cleansing is necessary, so the land will not be defiled.

Vs. 2 The elders of the city nearest to the slain man:

First, the matter of jurisdiction had to be settled. These elders were responsible to make the sacrifice to atone for and cleanse the murder-polluted land.

Vs. 3-4 A heifer which has not been worked:

Then, appropriate sacrifice had to be made.

This heifer was sacrificed by the sons of Levi in the presence of the city elders, who washed their hands over the sacrificed animal.

This washing of the hands, done in the presence of the sons of Levi, who by their word every controversy and every assault shall be settled, was a powerful proclamation by the elders: “We have done all we could to settle this case, but cannot. We are clean from all guilt in the matter of this slain man.”

Vs. 7 Provide atonement, O LORD:

Again, Numbers 35:33-34 makes the principle clear, that unavenged murders defile and pollute the land and atonement must be made for the land itself.

Vs. 9 So you shall put away the guilt of innocent blood:

When Israel followed God’s instructions for atonement, He honored His word by taking away their guilt. But the removal of guilt was always based on blood sacrifice, on a substitutionary atonement – looking forward to the work of Jesus on the cross for the entire world.

III. Respect for Captured Women vs. 10-14

And you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and desire her: In the ancient world, it was not uncommon for a man to take a wife from among the captives, especially if she was a beautiful woman. Yet obviously, this was open to great abuse, so God give specific guidelines to govern this practice in Israel.

Shave her head and trim her nails: First, the captive woman had to be purified and humbled. This denoted a complete break with her past, and the willingness to start anew, humbly as a child.

Put off the clothes of her captivity, remain in your house: Second, the captive woman had to show a change of allegiance. This showed that the captive woman no longer regarded her former nation and her former family; now she was a citizen of Israel.

Mourn her father and mother a full month: Third, the captive woman had to mourn her past associations. This would be time when she could resolve issues in her heart regarding her family, and when her husband-to-be could live with her a month without intimate relations – so he could see if he really wanted to take this woman as a wife, and to make sure he was not making a decision based only of physical appearance or attractiveness.

You certainly shall not sell her for money; you shall not treat her brutally: After the month of mourning, the potential husband was free to marry the captive woman – yet, he did not have to. But if he decided not to, he had to set her free with dignity. This was a remarkable protection of the rights of a captive woman.

IV. Inheritance Rights of Firstborn vs. 15-17

If a man has two wives: Obviously, there are going to be problems in a home like this, especially if there is one loved and the other unloved. Yet, God commanded that the inheritance rights of the firstborn son be respected, even if he were the son of the unloved wife.

A double portion of all that he has: This was the right of the firstborn in ancient Israel; the firstborn son was to receive twice as much inheritance as any other son. For example, if there were three sons, the inheritance would be divided into four parts, with the firstborn receiving two parts, and the other three sons each receiving one part.

V. Rebellious Sons vs. 18-21

A stubborn and rebellious son: This does not mean a small child, or even a young teen – but a son past the age of accountability, who sets himself in determined rebellion against his father and mother.

Who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them: The parents must have done a good job raising the son, calling him to obedience, and chastening him as appropriate before the LORD.

Bring him out to the elders of his city: Such a stubborn and rebellious son was to be put on trial before the elders of the city. If they determine him to be chronically rebellious, then the son was to be stoned to death.

It is important to note that the parents could not, by themselves, execute this penalty. They had to bring the son on trial before impartial judges. This is in contrast to ancient Greek and Roman law, which gave fathers the absolute right of life or death over their children. This was a control of parental authority more than it was an exercise of it.

The parents had to take the boy to the elders of the community; not only because the decision of life or death should be taken out of their direct hands, but because the guilt of the stubborn and rebellious son was not only against his parents, but against the whole community. He sowed the seeds for cultural suicide in Israel.

And all Israel shall hear and fear: This law was clearly intended to protect the social order of ancient Israel. No society can endure when the young are allowed to make war against the old.

Perhaps just the presence of this law was deterrent enough; we never have a Scriptural example of a son being stoned to death because he was a stubborn and rebellious son.