Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Deuteronomy 27: Oddly Specific?

Sometimes when you read the Bible, it is striking to hear some of the specific details that made it in!  We know, for instance, that someone in the Corinthian church was in a sexual relationship with his father's wife (I Corinthians 5:1).  We read about the fat of Eglon who, when he was stabbed, covered over the knife (Judges 3:22).  And we learn that Satan and Michael had an argument about Moses' body (Jude 9).  Such details add a lot of color to the Bible and make us wonder about the specifics of what was going on back then.

So it is in Deuteronomy 27 where 12 "curses" are going to be proclaimed to the Israelites by the Levites.  These must be pretty important laws to be highlighted in such a special way.  Yet just what makes the list?

Along with the biggies we might expect, such as making an idol (vs. 15), striking down a neighbor in secret (vs 24) or taking bribes (vs. 25), we also have some rather obscure violations cited...

"Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind person on the road" (vs. 18).  Alright.  I mean, I understand that that is a bad thing to do, but is that specific sin occurring frequently enough that it merits being a part of these twelve curses?  Apparently so!

Bestiality is also mentioned (vs. 21), which just strikes me as a shame that it had to be included in this relatively short code.  And that isn't the only sexual deviance mentioned/

Incest makes the list a full 25% of the time, with prohibitions against lying with one's father's wife (vs. 20), sister (vs. 22), and mother-in-law (vs. 23) included.  Did we really need these mental images?  Well, I guess a certain Corinthian 1500 years later could have used this guidance!

Although it might make us uncomfortable and squirm a bit, I, for one, am pleased when the Bible gives us such detail.  Specifics help bring the text to life, even if sometimes it is oddly specific!


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