Deu 23:13-15 | KingComments | STEP | This is about battle, not the battle itself, but preparation and equipment. Every admission of evil, even the slightest, reduces the power to fight. The power to fight lies in the presence of the LORD in their midst. When the army goes out, He goes out along with them. That is a powerful consolation, but also a matter of great seriousness. We see here that God cares about everyday things that have a negative impact on our spiritual strength, for these are “the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards” ( ). Moses mentions two forms by which a warrior can become unclean: by a nocturnal emission, the so-called ‘wet dream’, and by fecal matter. The warrior can’t help these two things. No blame is on him. He is not liable for them, because they belong to man’s natural existence. These are indeed things that make someone unclean, but they are not forms of uncleanness that arise from the will of man. We can regard them as everyday matters. It’s about what we call little things, about which we don’t tend to dwell upon or fuss over too much. Yet they are forms of impurity. In order that we may remain aware that God cannot tolerate any form of impurity in His presence, Moses gives instructions for these matters.

‏ Deuteronomy 23:13-15

Cleanness of the Camp

This is about battle, not the battle itself, but preparation and equipment. Every admission of evil, even the slightest, reduces the power to fight. The power to fight lies in the presence of the LORD in their midst. When the army goes out, He goes out along with them. That is a powerful consolation, but also a matter of great seriousness. We see here that God cares about everyday things that have a negative impact on our spiritual strength, for these are “the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards” (Song 2:15).

Moses mentions two forms by which a warrior can become unclean: by a nocturnal emission, the so-called ‘wet dream’, and by fecal matter. The warrior can’t help these two things. No blame is on him. He is not liable for them, because they belong to man’s natural existence.

These are indeed things that make someone unclean, but they are not forms of uncleanness that arise from the will of man. We can regard them as everyday matters. It’s about what we call little things, about which we don’t tend to dwell upon or fuss over too much. Yet they are forms of impurity. In order that we may remain aware that God cannot tolerate any form of impurity in His presence, Moses gives instructions for these matters.

Mercy Toward an Escaped Slave

It is about a slave from a foreign land, not a countryman. The land of God is a place of refuge for such persons. David deals in this way with the Egyptian young man who fell into his hands. This boy is the slave of an Amalekite man whom David takes care of (1Sam 30:11-15).

The assembly should be a place of warm welcome, safety and freedom of movement for people who have escaped from their hard master. The Israelites know from experience the meaning of service under a hard master, and what it means to be made free from it.

Nevertheless, it must not be a flight to avoid a just sentence. Paul does send Onesimus back (Phlm 1:10-12) and the Angel of the LORD commands Hagar to go back to Sarah (Gen 16:9). The reasons for returning in these instances are different. Be that as it may, they are not sent back to merciless masters.