FAIRNESS, FAMILY, AND FREEDOM. Deuteronomy 25 Laws are essentially meaningless if they cannot be enforced through punishment for those who violate them. We have laws through which the government regulates and restrains the population of a country, helping to maintain order and liberty. The purpose of laws is to allow citizens to live without fear and to raise their families safely. When lawbreakers go unpunished, they can disrupt the lives of many people, which may lead them to repeat those actions. The same principle applies to family life and public gatherings. To ensure fairness for everyone, just laws are necessary, along with appropriate punishments for those who refuse to discipline themselves and cooperate within the social community.
In Israel, when a court case was heard and a judgment was passed on the offender, physical punishment was administered to the convicted person. The punishment was not ignored or delayed until people forgot the crime committed. The beating involved a specific number of stripes applied to a person's back in front of the judge immediately after the sentence was pronounced. This action was intended not only to punish the offender but also to serve as a warning to others watching, to discourage them from doing the same. The goal of punishing a crime is to uphold justice and to reform irresponsible behavior, not to belittle people.
The number of stripes a person receives should correspond to the severity of the act he committed, ensuring justice. This occurs during sentencing, and the punishment should reflect how serious the offense is. The principle of fairness prevents the punishment from being too harsh or too lenient, aiming to effectively change the offender's behavior. Excessive punishment is a miscarriage of justice and breeds bitterness because it is inhumane. Justice is maintained when the punishment matches the crime.
In family life, there is a need for rules and order to maintain a domestic atmosphere that benefits all family members. Children need to understand where the boundaries are regarding behavior and what the consequences will be if they exceed those boundaries. Family tranquility is very difficult to sustain without fair rules and appropriate punishment to enforce them. Rules for proper behavior should be taught and enforced in church life. The level of corrective action is clearly outlined in the New Testament and is enforced through proper discipline. It is unfair to withhold from someone the consequences they face if they do not conduct themselves in a disciplined and righteous manner. It is also unfair to those in the assembly and to the offender if punishment is not imposed in a scriptural way.
Order and fairness extend even to the way we treat our animals. Working an animal until it drops is wrong. Animals need to be able to eat enough to stay strong enough to work. An ox at the grinding wheel should be left without a muzzle so it can lower its head and eat while working for its owner. Horses that are "worked to death" have been abused, and that is unfair to both the animal and the owner.
When left to their own devices, animals spend most of their time eating and sleeping. That is the natural behavior God designed for their survival. By giving man dominion over the beasts, man can benefit from their strength. Their natural tendency is to eat almost constantly to maintain that strength. Fairness allows them time to recover what they lose through their work. It is essential that we treat animals with care and concern.
Family life remains important despite the disintegration of family units today. Heritage and the inheritance associated with it were crucial in Israel for caring for the elderly and providing for the young. Much of the inheritance passed from one generation to the next consisted of physical assets. Animals served as vital sources of income, worship, and life sustenance for the family. They depended on the animals they owned. A person with many animals was considered wealthy. Other valuable items could also be passed down and were fairly divided. The firstborn son inherited the family title and possessions. When he married, his wife and children gained access to the inheritance.
In Israel, maintaining a family's lineage was crucial. Property and assets were preserved and passed down through generations indefinitely. If a man died before having children, his wife was not included in the inheritance unless she married another family member. The social structure of families largely determines how inheritance is transferred. Fairness in distributing material benefits is essential.
Daughters typically marry into another family. Unmarried daughters remain responsible for the original family and are entitled to their share of the inheritance. The eldest son usually starts his independent life first and may need help to take on the responsibilities of managing his own family. It requires wisdom and tact to act fairly within a family so that descendants will preserve the family name's integrity.
Sometimes, events around us seem to happen without fair regard for them. Our tendency is to intervene and support the person we favor. However, it is not always appropriate to step into or interfere in a dispute between others. If we don't know all the facts or what led to the disagreement, we should stay out of it. The person we favor might be wrong. By sharing our opinions or actions, we could be responsible for a negative outcome. For fairness's sake, it's best to "mind our own business." Those involved in a dispute should resolve it within the smallest possible group. If, for any reason, we are asked to mediate, our judgment must be impartial, regardless of who is involved.
Business matters often tempt us to manipulate situations to our advantage unfairly. The standards we should follow in our business life must be honest and widely accepted by everyone we do business with. Manipulating for personal gain can quickly and permanently damage your reputation in the community. If someone is dishonest in financial dealings, most people will take serious offense and see you as untrustworthy and morally flawed. Unfair profit margins, dishonest business practices, unfair wages, and unrealistic expectations of others can cause damage that may never be repaired.
More than what people think of us and judge us by is the fact that God is the unseen observer of every transaction. Unfairness and crooked dealings with others mean that to God, that person is an abomination. The purpose of establishing unchanging standards was to maintain integrity and social responsibility among all citizens. The problem with unequal weights and measures occurs when they are made out to be what they are not. How far-reaching are the acts of covetousness? They extend all the way to the "Judge of all the earth!"
Amalek represents a type of flesh that preys on the weakness of God's people. The Amalekites were to be entirely removed from the earth because they tried to block God’s redemptive love through the coming Messiah. Those who seek to eradicate the Jews will find themselves under God's righteous judgment. Nothing in natural man can be salvaged or made acceptable to God. In Israel, that enemy came behind the children of Israel like a pack of scavenging dogs, killing the weak and helpless who lagged behind the others. They resembled wolves, coyotes, and other carnivorous predators, following herds of caribou, antelope, deer, and other animals that cannot easily defend themselves when alone.
The people of God need fellowship and support from other believers to stay safe and uphold the freedom we have in Christ. The flesh will pursue us and make us believe we are in danger if we do not contribute to God's work with our own efforts to be right before Him. Some attractions are added to the simplicity of the Gospel to make it more appealing to people.
The flesh prefers sensual things that appeal to our senses rather than our spirits. When that appeal becomes too strong, we may find ourselves bound by the flesh instead of living in the freedom of the Spirit to do God's will from our hearts. Laws that promote fairness in society and family might not appeal to the flesh, but they are best for us because they keep us within the blessed bonds of grace and gratitude to God for the freedom to walk in the path He chooses for us. The laws of social responsibility are necessary for us to live in ways that bring peace and satisfaction in life. By staying aware of potential issues, we need to remain alert.
Difficulties arise—controversies and disagreements among brethren. They must be resolved, but not by one person alone—call the trusted leaders. In the multitude of counselors, there is safety. Judges should meet together, not trusting in human strength alone, but spending time listening, praying, asking questions, and communicating with each other about the matter before the Lord. If they do not take the time to seek God’s guidance and are unaware of their own flawed humanity, wrong decisions can easily be made. Be mindful of human duplicity and, more importantly, recognize God’s omniscience. Take the necessary time to make a sound judgment after carefully considering all the facts.
Some are working diligently in their service; the Lord’s work and sameness may be monotonous. Step by step, day after day, year after year, the servant works quietly, consistently, and produces good fruit as a result of hard labor. Others move out into the open field, where they enjoy the freshness of change all the time. There is freedom of movement without limitations, in contrast to those working alone. The one who is treading out the corn to feed the hungry and preparing food for others should also be fed. You may be far out in front with all eyes on you, waiting for your words. Pause for a moment and look behind you. You wouldn’t be where you are if the “ox who is treading out the corn” didn’t keep walking and working constantly and alone. If the patient ox didn’t keep walking at a steady pace, who would feed you?
Watching from hidden or nearby places to spy on you are those plotting secretly to defeat you. Amalek (the flesh) observes and waits, even as you move forward at a regular pace through life. There are eyes watching and waiting—fleshly eyes from outside to accuse. Fleshly eyes from within try to place guilt on the weak mind focused on self. We must move forward in the Lord's strength without hesitation. Some, faint in spirit and weak-hearted, seek shade in the heat of the day. They have weak knees and shaky hearts; their hands hang down after hard work—and then—Amalek strikes! When you feel you’ve had enough, are faint-hearted, and weary—beware behind you!