Deu 23:1 | KingComments | STEP | The spirit of all the precepts given here and in the previous chapter is instructive. God deigns to take note of all these things. He also teaches His people sensitivity, courtesy, respect for others, tenderness. They are feelings that repel the roughness and drive the hardness out of the peoples’ hearts. In we see two names for the people of God: 1. the assembly of the LORD ( , six times) and 2. the camp ( , six times). With the “assembly of the LORD” is meant the meetings of God’s people; the “camp” is about fighting and being able to do so. Both are connected with God’s presence in the midst of His people. It is about the assembly of God, not our own. If we understand this properly, it will save us from seeking what we like. We then will also want to guard the holiness of that place. Not ”enter the assembly of the LORD” seems to refer to the meetings of God’s people to honor Him. Four categories are excluded from participation in the religious meetings of Israel. This exclusion should prevent any member of the people from entering into a relationship with any of the persons mentioned. In the case of an emasculated person, external intervention was made in the God-created nature of the reproduction of life. These are those whom the Lord Jesus speaks of, when He speaks of “eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men” ( ). Such an act is contrary to the character of God’s people. Therefore, such a person may not be accepted as a member of God’s people. [NB This prohibition also gives food for thought when it comes to modern means and techniques to prevent conceiving children without any medical necessity.] The eunuch mentioned in Acts 8 is an example of the grace that goes beyond the law ( ). The word “eunuch” ( ) is literally “emasculated”, which is castration. Yet he is introduced into the blessing of God. Grace gives that way because grace in the work of Christ nullifies the previous state (cf. ). The holiness of God never disables the grace of God, by which obstacles can be removed. Without the commandment being invalidated, all people can be brought into the church of God. Grace never nullifies God’s holiness, but maintains it completely. Grace unlocks a way in which God’s holiness is fulfilled. That way was opened by the Lord Jesus on the cross. The emasculated can also be seen as someone who confesses with his lips that he is a Christian, but his life does not show it. There can be no fruit with ‘an emasculated’. He has no connection with the vine ( ). Superficially, it is often difficult to determine whether someone is ‘emasculated’ or not. An illegitimate child or mongrel person is someone who has been conceived in fornication. The word is found one other time in the Old Testament in Zechariah chapter 9: “And a mongrel race will dwell in Ashdod” ( ). The time period “the tenth generation” does not mean that the eleventh generation can be part of it. This expression should be understood as an always enduring matter. Thus the Lord Jesus says that forgiveness must be accorded up to “seventy times seven” times ( ). That is also in the sense of always. In a spiritual sense, illegitimate children are people who do not participate in the discipline of God, because God does not know them as sons ( ). They seem to belong to God’s people, but that is only to the eye. Inwardly there is no life from God.

‏ Deuteronomy 23:1

Introduction

The spirit of all the precepts given here and in the previous chapter is instructive. God deigns to take note of all these things. He also teaches His people sensitivity, courtesy, respect for others, tenderness. They are feelings that repel the roughness and drive the hardness out of the peoples’ hearts.

The Emasculated and the Illegitimate Child

In Deu 23:1-14 we see two names for the people of God:

1. the assembly of the LORD (Deu 23:1-8, six times) and

2. the camp (Deu 23:9-14, six times).

With the “assembly of the LORD” is meant the meetings of God’s people; the “camp” is about fighting and being able to do so. Both are connected with God’s presence in the midst of His people. It is about the assembly of God, not our own. If we understand this properly, it will save us from seeking what we like. We then will also want to guard the holiness of that place.

Not ”enter the assembly of the LORD” seems to refer to the meetings of God’s people to honor Him. Four categories are excluded from participation in the religious meetings of Israel. This exclusion should prevent any member of the people from entering into a relationship with any of the persons mentioned.

In the case of an emasculated person, external intervention was made in the God-created nature of the reproduction of life. These are those whom the Lord Jesus speaks of, when He speaks of “eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men” (Mt 19:12). Such an act is contrary to the character of God’s people. Therefore, such a person may not be accepted as a member of God’s people.

[NB This prohibition also gives food for thought when it comes to modern means and techniques to prevent conceiving children without any medical necessity.]

The eunuch mentioned in Acts 8 is an example of the grace that goes beyond the law (Acts 8:26-39). The word “eunuch” (Acts 8:27) is literally “emasculated”, which is castration. Yet he is introduced into the blessing of God. Grace gives that way because grace in the work of Christ nullifies the previous state (cf. Isa 56:3-5).

The holiness of God never disables the grace of God, by which obstacles can be removed. Without the commandment being invalidated, all people can be brought into the church of God. Grace never nullifies God’s holiness, but maintains it completely. Grace unlocks a way in which God’s holiness is fulfilled. That way was opened by the Lord Jesus on the cross.

The emasculated can also be seen as someone who confesses with his lips that he is a Christian, but his life does not show it. There can be no fruit with ‘an emasculated’. He has no connection with the vine (Jn 15:4). Superficially, it is often difficult to determine whether someone is ‘emasculated’ or not.

An illegitimate child or mongrel person is someone who has been conceived in fornication. The word is found one other time in the Old Testament in Zechariah chapter 9: “And a mongrel race will dwell in Ashdod” (Zec 9:6). The time period “the tenth generation” does not mean that the eleventh generation can be part of it. This expression should be understood as an always enduring matter. Thus the Lord Jesus says that forgiveness must be accorded up to “seventy times seven” times (Mt 18:22). That is also in the sense of always.

In a spiritual sense, illegitimate children are people who do not participate in the discipline of God, because God does not know them as sons (Heb 12:8). They seem to belong to God’s people, but that is only to the eye. Inwardly there is no life from God.