Deuteronomy Chapters 20-21, I’m Washing My Hands Of It The Guilt Of Innocent Blood God Demands Justice God Wants Parents Honored Fear Of Death Reduces Crime Hanging On A Tree Is Cursed Enemies, afraid, cut trees, polygamy, cutting fruit trees

1. Deuteronomy 20-21
I’m Washing My Hands Of It
The Guilt Of Innocent Blood
God Demands Justice
God Wants Parents Honored
Fear Of Death Reduces Crime
Hanging On A Tree Is Cursed
Enemies, cut trees, polygamy, cutting fruit treesPhoto by Kelly McGehee

2. BIBLE IN FIVE
Pastor Dave Kooyers
Valley Bible Fellowship
Box 433
Boonville CA 95415
http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers
www.ValleyBibleFellowship.org
(707) 895-2325
God bless you as you examine His Word,
Your servant in Christ, 2Cor. 4:5
These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are provided "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ"
(Ephesians 4:12-15). To help Christians to "to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." So that "we are no longer...tossed here and
there...by every wind of doctrine." They may be downloaded and modified free of charge.
Matthew 10:8 …Freely you received, freely give.

3. Deuteronomy 20
Enemies, cut trees

4. Deuteronomy 20:1, Enemies
• NAU Deuteronomy 20:1 "When you go out to battle against your
enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous
than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who
brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.
• Only the Psalms have more uses of the word “enemies” than
Deuteronomy. God is preparing his people to go into the world to
represent Him. Should be a lesson for us.
• Christopher de Vinck said, “Perhaps there is someone you dislike
but whom you have to see each day. What would happen if you
sent that person a small card of greeting? What would happen if
you invited that person out for a cup of coffee? What would
happen if you bought that person a flower? God would smile.
That’s what would happen.”
4

5. Deuteronomy 20:1,
Jesus, on “Enemies”
• What did Jesus say concerning “… your enemies…” ?
• NAU Matthew 5:44 "But I say to you, love your
enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
• NAU Matthew 10:36 and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE
THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.
• NAU Luke 1:74 To grant us that we, being rescued
from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him
without fear,
• NAU Luke 6:27 "But I say to you who hear, love your
enemies, do good to those who hate you,
5

6. Deuteronomy 20:1
Do Not Be Afraid
• NAU Deuteronomy 20:1… do not be afraid of
them; for [because, this is why, Grk. LXX, that, because, since] the
LORD your God, who brought you up from the
land of Egypt, is with you.
• NAU Deuteronomy 20:3 "He shall say to them,
'Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle
against your enemies today. Do not be
fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or
tremble before them,
6

7. Be Not Afraid
• Genesis 3:10
• He said, "I heard the
sound of You in the
garden, and I was
afraid because I was
naked; so I hid
myself.“
• DLK could only find 164 NASU,
or 193KJV uses of “afraid”.
There probably is that many
similar uses.

8. Deuteronomy 20:19
Don’t Destroy Fruit Trees
• NAU Deuteronomy 20:19 "When you besiege a
city a long time, to make war against it in order
to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by
swinging an axe against them; for you may eat
from them, and you shall not cut them down. For
is the tree of the field a man, that it should be
besieged by you?
• Lumber trees are okay to cut.
• Jesus says if trees don't bear fruit cut them down
8

9. Deuteronomy 20:19 Cutting Trees
• Luke 3:9 "Indeed the axe is
already laid at the root of the
trees; so every tree that does
not bear good fruit is cut
down and thrown into the
fire.“
• Loggers and the giant Mark
Twain redwood cut down in
California, 1892.
• This photo and others from
the National Geographic
archives are being
auctioned by Christie’s in an
exclusive, online-only sale
from July 19-29, see here for
details

10. Deuteronomy 21

11. Deuteronomy 21:1
Who Killed Him?
• NKJ Deuteronomy 21:1 "If anyone is found slain,
lying in the field in the land which the LORD your God
is giving you to possess, and it is not known who
killed him,
• God does not allow any sin to slip by.
• NAU Genesis 4:10 He said, "What have you done?
The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me
from the ground.
• NAU Revelation 6:10 and they cried out with a loud
voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will
You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on 11

12. Deuteronomy 21:6
I’m Washing My Hands Of It
• NAU Deuteronomy 21:6 "All the elders of that city which is nearest
to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose
neck was broken in the valley;
• NAU Matthew 27:24 When Pilate…washed his hands…saying, "I
am innocent of this Man's blood…”
• Matthew 15:2 "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the
elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
• Linda Economy said,“I accompanied my four-year-old, Matt, to a
pre-kindergarten screening session where they tested his hearing,
eyesight, speech, and motor skills. The last stop was with the
school nurse who emphasized the importance of washing hands
before meals. "Germs from our hands can get on our food while
eating," she explained. "Oh, I don't need to worry about that,"
Matt assured her.
• "We use forks at our house."
• John 13:9 Mark 7:3 Leviticus 11:2, 15:11

13. Deuteronomy 21:8
The Guilt Of Innocent Blood
• NAU Deuteronomy 21:8 'Forgive Thy people Israel whom
Thou hast redeemed, O LORD, and do not place the guilt of
innocent blood in the midst of Thy people Israel.' And the
bloodguiltiness shall be forgiven them. 9 "So you shall
remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when
you do what is right in the eyes of the LORD.
• Within the theocracy God provided a means to avoid the
punishment for innocent blood, no such provision is available
to America. We can wash our hands until they are pruned,
and kill all the heifers we have and it will not absolve us from
the guilt of butchering one baby in the womb.

14. Deuteronomy 21:8
Innocent Until Guilty
• NAU Deuteronomy 21:8…the guilt of innocent blood …
• There was a tedious four-day trial at which a defendant
stoutly maintained his innocence. On the fourth day he
suddenly decided to plead guilty. The judge angrily inquired,
"Why didn't you plead guilty right at the start and save us all
this time, trouble, and cost?"
• "Honest, Judge," whined the defendant, "I was convinced I
was innocent until I heard all the evidence against me. Author
Unknown
• Oh if only the USA could be convicted concerning abortion and sex sin.

15. Deuteronomy 21:8
Innocent Blood Pollutes The Land
• NAU Psalm 106:38 And shed innocent blood, The
blood of their sons and their daughters, Whom
they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the
land was polluted with the blood.
• NAU Joel 3:19 Egypt will become a waste, And
Edom will become a desolate wilderness, Because
of the violence done to the sons of Judah, In
whose land they have shed innocent blood.
• Can you think of any blood that is more innocent
than that of a baby in the womb?
15

16. Deuteronomy 21:15-17
The Right Of The First-Born
• NAU Deuteronomy 21:15 "If a man has two wives, the one
loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the
unloved have borne him sons, if the firstborn son belongs to
the unloved, 16 then it shall be in the day he wills what he has
to his sons, he cannot make the son of the loved the first-born
before the son of the unloved, who is the first-born. 17 "But he
shall acknowledge the first-born, the son of the unloved, by
giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the
beginning of his strength; to him belongs the right of the first-
born.
• The right of the first-born is repeatedly reinforced.
• Even though Jesus was unloved by Israel, at His 1st. coming, He
is still the firstborn Beloved Son.

17. Deuteronomy 21:15-17
God Demands Justice
• NAU Deuteronomy 21:16 then it shall be in the day he
wills what he has to his sons, he cannot make the son of
the loved the firstborn before the son of the unloved,
who is the firstborn.
• Repeatedly, and with many different examples, God
continuously demands that we be just and fair.
• God hates favoritism! Just because you prefer one child,
or one wife, does not give you the right to cheat the first
born out of his rights.
Luke 2:7 Genesis 27:36, 48:14, 49:3

18. Deuteronomy 21:15
If A Man Has Two Wives
• NAU Deuteronomy 21:15 "If a man has two wives,
the one loved and the other unloved…
• A good biblical reason against polygamy…
• You cannot serve two masters!
• Luke 16:13 "No servant can serve two masters; for
either he will hate the one and love the other, or
else he will be devoted to one and despise the
other…
• But Jesus went on; “You cannot serve God and
wealth.”

19. Deuteronomy 21:18
God Wants Parents Honored
• NAU Deuteronomy 21:18 "If any man has a stubborn and
rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and
when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, 19 then his
father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders
of his city at the gateway of his hometown. 20 "They shall say to
the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious,
he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.' 21 "Then all the
men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the
evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear.
• NAU Deuteronomy 5:16 'Honor your father and your mother, as
the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be
prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the
LORD your God gives you.

20. Deuteronomy 21:18-21
Death To Kids Who Dishonor Their Parents
• When children dishonor their parents, And grow up
that way, they have learned a very bad trait. This will
result up in rebellion against authority, culminating in
in an attitude of rebellion against God. Loving parents
caring for obedient children would reflect God’s
loving relationship to us.
• NAU Malachi 1:6 "'A son honors his father, and a
servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My
honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?'
says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests who despise
My name. But you say, 'How have we despised Your
name?'
20

21. Deuteronomy 21:18-21
Death To Kids Who Dishonor Their Parents
• NAU Deuteronomy 21:18 "If any man has a
stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his
father or his mother, and when they chastise him,
he will not even listen to them,
• He is dishonoring his parents, and breaking the fifth
commandment.
• This shows equal status for women.
• NAU Deuteronomy 21:21…stone him to death; so
you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all
Israel will hear of it and fear.
21

22. Deut. 21:21
Fear Of Death Reduces Crime
• NAU Deuteronomy 13:11 "Then all Israel will
hear and be afraid, and will never again do such
a wicked thing among you.
• NAU Deuteronomy 17:12…that man shall die;
thus you shall purge the evil from Israel. 13
"Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and
will not act presumptuously again.
• NAU Deuteronomy 19:20 "The rest will hear
and be afraid…

23. Deut. 21:21
Fear Of Death Reduces Crime
• Hebrews 2:15
and might free
those who
through fear of
death were
subject to
slavery all their
lives.

24. Deuteronomy 21:18-21
Law of Moses or Law of Christ?
• Praise God we have been set free from the
law! Don't have to stone our children.
• NAU Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the
law of sin and of death.
• Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and
thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

25. Deuteronomy 21:22-23
Hanging On A Tree
• NAU Deuteronomy 21:22 "If a man has committed a sin
worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on
a tree, 23 his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but
you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is
hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your
land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance.
• NAU Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of
the Law, having become a curse for us-- for it is written,
"Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree "-- 14 in order that
in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the
Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith.

26. Rose Book of Bible
Charts, Maps And
Timelines Volume 1
• 100 Prophecies Fulfilled by
Jesus
• Prophecies more than 1200
years before Jesus birth are
highlighted in green
• Prophecies more than 800
years before Jesus birth are
highlighted in yellow
• Prophecies more than 500
years before Jesus birth are
highlighted in blue
26

27. 27

28. In Conclusion
28

29. THE END
Let's turn to Matthew 26 to
celebrate communion
29

30. 30

32. • Today is October 4, 2012
•
Verse of the Day -- Malachi 1:6
•
"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?" says
the Lord of hosts . . .
•
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
• God wants us to honor Him.
•
MINI BIBLE STUDY FOR THE DAY
• Through the prophet Malachi, God used the analogy of father to son and master to servant to rhetorically ask, "Since you honor your
parents, shouldn't you also honor me?" The Israelites well understood his meaning. The fifth of the Ten Commandments states that children
are to honor their parents.
• Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. —Exodus 20:12 (See
also Deuteronomy 5:16.)It was even known that disobedient children were to be stoned to death.If any man has a stubborn and rebellious
son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, then his father and mother shall
seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. They shall say to the elders of his city, "This son of ours
is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard." Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you
shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear. —Deuteronomy 21:18-21The problem at that time was that the
Jewish priests were allowing lame and sick animals to be sacrificed. This was against God's written command to sacrifice only animals that
were "without blemish."Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them to minister as priests to Me: take one young bull and two
rams without blemish —Exodus 29:1 (See also Ezekiel 43:22.)Israel had failed to honor God as the priests had been allowing this lack of
respect.Applying this to today, God might say, "You fear/respect man-made authorities, why not Me?"

33. Deuteronomy 20:16-18 Joshua 9:1-5, The
Giboenites- a story of survival
• The Giboenites- a story of survivalWhen you say the word “survivor” in 2013, one might think that you were talking about the famous reality T.V. show of the last decade. Today we are
going to discuss survivors, but of a different sort; instead we will examine the reaction of four cities of the Hivite nation – ‫ִי‬‫ו‬ִ‫ח‬ַ‫-ה‬ to the occupation of the Promised Land by the Israelites with
the help of their God, who promised the land in Genesis 15:18-21 to Abram and his descendants.
• Had I been around in that age and heard about God’s promise, I surmise that I might have done two different things: either I would have fought against this enemy, as we can see in Joshua
9:1-2, or I would have tried my best to simply survive this frightening people. One my instructors at the Hebrew University taught me that the Gibeonites-‫הגבעונים‬might have known the law
in Deuteronomy, which says that you are from one the seven nations of the land of Canaan, there's no chance for survival, as written:
• "‫ק‬ ַ‫ר‬ ‫י‬ ֵ‫ר‬ָ‫ע‬ ֵ‫מ‬ ‫ים‬ ִ‫מ‬ַ‫ע‬ָ‫ה‬ ‫ֶּה‬‫ל‬ֵ‫א‬ָ‫ה‬ ‫ָה‬‫ו‬‫ְה‬‫י‬‫ר‬ ֶּ‫ש‬ֲ‫א‬ ‫יָך‬ֶּ‫ֹלה‬ֱ‫א‬ ‫ן‬ ֵ‫ֹת‬‫נ‬ ‫ְָך‬‫ל‬ ‫ָה‬‫ל‬ֲ‫ַח‬‫נ‬ ‫ֶּה‬‫י‬ַ‫ח‬ ְ‫ֹלאת‬ ‫ָל‬‫כ‬-‫ה‬ ָ‫מ‬ ָ‫ְש‬‫נ‬. ‫ִי‬‫כ‬-‫ם‬ ֵ‫ימ‬ ִ‫ר‬ֲ‫ח‬ ַ‫םת‬ ֵ‫ר‬ֲ‫ח‬ַ‫ה‬ ‫י‬ ִ‫ת‬ִ‫ח‬ַ‫ה‬ ‫י‬ ִ‫ֹר‬‫מ‬ֱ‫א‬ָ‫ְה‬‫ו‬ ‫ִי‬‫ז‬ ִ‫ר‬ְ‫פ‬ַ‫ְה‬‫ו‬‫ִי‬‫נ‬ֲ‫ַע‬‫נ‬ְ‫כ‬ַ‫ה‬ ‫ִי‬‫ו‬ ִ‫ח‬ַ‫ה‬ ‫י‬ִ‫ְבוס‬‫י‬ַ‫ְה‬‫ו‬ ‫ר‬ ֶּ‫ש‬ֲ‫ַא‬‫כ‬ ‫ָה‬‫ו‬‫ְה‬‫י‬‫ְָך‬‫ו‬ִ‫צ‬ ‫יָך‬ֶּ‫ֹלה‬ֱ‫.א‬ ‫ן‬ַ‫ע‬ ַ‫ְמ‬‫ל‬ ‫ר‬ ֶּ‫ש‬ֲ‫א‬ ‫-ֹלא‬
‫ֶּם‬‫כ‬ ְ‫ת‬ֶּ‫דוא‬ ְ‫ַמ‬‫ל‬ְ‫י‬ ‫ׂשֹות‬ֲ‫ַע‬‫ל‬, ‫ֹל‬‫ְכ‬‫כ‬ ‫ם‬ ָ‫ֹת‬‫ב‬ֲ‫,תֹוע‬ ‫ׂשו‬ָ‫רע‬ ֶּ‫ש‬ֲ‫א‬ ‫ם‬ֶּ‫יה‬ֵ‫ֵאֹלה‬‫ל‬; ‫ם‬ ֶּ‫את‬ָ‫ט‬ֲ‫ַח‬‫ו‬ ‫ֶּם‬‫כ‬‫י‬ֵ‫ֹלה‬ֱ‫ָהא‬‫ו‬‫ַיה‬‫ל‬."
• "Only in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and
the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and theJebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable
things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God." (Deuteronomy 20:16-18)
• I am not sure if they knew the Biblical law or not. In my eyes, they were simply wise enough to figure out that in order to survive you may have to put aside your ideals, lest they get you
killed. Instead, you must be realistic in order to survive, no matter what the consequences. Another possible answer is that theGibeonites had planned to fight the Israelites all along, so by
putting aside their customs, they attempted to deceive the Israelites. Let's see what they did in order to change their reality:
• "‫ׂשו‬ֲ‫ַע‬‫י‬ַ‫ו‬ ‫ַם‬‫ג‬-‫ה‬ ָ‫מ‬ֵ‫ה‬ ‫ה‬ ָ‫מ‬ ְ‫ר‬ָ‫ְע‬‫ב‬, ‫ָרו‬‫י‬ַ‫ְט‬‫צ‬ִ‫י‬ַ‫ו‬‫ְכו‬‫ל‬ֵ‫י‬ַ‫ו‬; ‫חו‬ ְ‫ִק‬‫י‬ַ‫ו‬ ‫ים‬ ִ‫ק‬ ַ‫ׂש‬ ‫ִים‬‫ל‬ָ‫ב‬,‫ם‬ֶּ‫יה‬ ֵ‫מֹור‬ֲ‫ַח‬‫ל‬, ‫ֹאדֹות‬‫ְנ‬‫ו‬ ‫ִן‬‫י‬ַ‫י‬ ‫ִים‬‫ל‬ָ‫ב‬ ‫ים‬ ִ‫ר‬ ָ‫ֹר‬‫צ‬ ְ‫יםומ‬ִ‫ע‬ ָ‫ֻק‬‫ב‬ ְ‫.ומ‬ ‫לֹות‬ָ‫ְע‬‫נ‬‫ו‬ ‫ָלֹות‬‫ב‬ ‫ם‬ֶּ‫ֵיה‬‫ל‬ְ‫ג‬ ַ‫ְר‬‫ב‬‫ָאֹות‬‫ל‬ֻ‫ט‬ ְ‫ומ‬ ‫ָמֹות‬‫ל‬ ְ‫וׂש‬ ‫ָלֹות‬‫ב‬ ‫ם‬ֶּ‫ֵיה‬‫ל‬ֲ‫;ע‬ ‫ם‬ֶּ‫ֶּח‬‫ל‬‫ֹל‬‫ְכ‬‫ו‬ ‫ם‬ ָ‫ֵיד‬‫צ‬ ‫ֵש‬‫ב‬ָ‫י‬ ‫ָה‬‫י‬ָ‫ה‬ ‫ים‬ ִ‫ד‬ ֻ‫ִק‬‫נ‬."
• "They also acted craftily and set out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended, and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet,
and worn-out clothes on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and had become crumbled"(Joshua 9:4-5)
• It is noteworthy that their deception went further than just disguising their clothes, bread and wine. They called themselves the servants- ‫-עבדים‬ who heard about the mighty God and just
wanted a covenant of peace, as their elders (and not their Kings!) offered them. They used the terminology of the Israelites; they spoke firstly with the people and then with Joshua - these
are the qualities of good survivors. It’s not surprising then that in the next chapter, the Israelites defended the Gibeonites when the sun was in Gibeon and the moon was in
the Ayalon valley. Gibeon was also the place where Solomon had a revelation from God in a dream. As a result of this dream, he received the wisdom that was later, famously, asked of
him.(See 1 Kings 3: 5-14- was Gibeon the place of Wisdom?)
• The Gibeonites are also mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in another passage that showed how King Saul broke his promise to this nation, as written:
• "...‫ר‬ ֶּ‫ֹאמ‬‫ַי‬‫ו‬ ‫ָה‬‫ו‬‫ְה‬‫י‬, ‫ל‬ֶּ‫אול-א‬ ָ‫ש‬ ‫ל‬ֶּ‫ְא‬‫ו‬-‫ים‬ ִ‫מ‬ ָ‫ד‬ַ‫ֵיתה‬‫ב‬ ‫ל‬ַ‫ר-ע‬ ֶּ‫ש‬ֲ‫ית-א‬ ִ‫מ‬ֵ‫ת,ה‬ֶּ‫ִים-א‬‫נ‬ֹ‫ְע‬‫ב‬ִ‫ג‬ַ‫.ה‬ ‫א‬ ָ‫ר‬ ְ‫ִק‬‫י‬ַ‫ו‬ ‫ִים‬‫נ‬ֹ‫ְע‬‫ב‬ִ‫ג‬ַ‫ל‬‫ְֶּך‬‫ל‬ ֶּ‫מ‬ַ‫,ה‬ ‫ר‬ ֶּ‫ֹאמ‬‫ַי‬‫ו‬ ‫ם‬ֶּ‫ֵיה‬‫ל‬ֲ‫:א‬ ‫ִיםֹלא‬‫נ‬ֹ‫ְע‬‫ב‬ִ‫ג‬ַ‫ְה‬‫ו‬ ‫ֵי‬‫נ‬ְ‫ב‬ ִ‫מ‬ ‫ל‬ֵ‫א‬ ָ‫ר‬ ְ‫ִׂש‬‫י‬ ‫ה‬ ָ‫מ‬ֵ‫ה‬ ‫ִי‬‫כ‬ ‫ם‬ִ‫-א‬
‫י‬ ִ‫ֹר‬‫מ‬ֱ‫א‬ָ‫רה‬ ֶּ‫ֶּת‬‫י‬ ִ‫מ‬ ‫ֵי‬‫נ‬ְ‫ב‬‫ו‬ ‫ל‬ֵ‫א‬ ָ‫ר‬ ְ‫ִׂש‬‫י‬ ‫ְעו‬‫ב‬ ְ‫ִש‬‫נ‬ ‫ם‬ֶּ‫ָה‬‫ל‬,‫ש‬ ֵ‫ַק‬‫ב‬ְ‫י‬ַ‫ו‬ ‫אול‬ ָ‫ש‬ ‫ם‬ ָ‫ֹת‬ ‫כ‬ַ‫ְה‬‫ל‬ ‫ֵי‬‫נ‬ְ‫ב‬ִ‫ל‬‫ֹאתֹו‬ ‫נ‬ ַ‫ְק‬‫ב‬-‫ל‬ֵ‫א‬ ָ‫ר‬ ְ‫ִׂש‬‫י‬ ‫ה‬ ָ‫ִיהוד‬‫ו‬."
• "…And the LORD said, “It is for Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.”So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them (now the Gibeonites were not of the
sons of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites, and the sons of Israel made a covenant with them, but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah"(2 Samuel
21:1-2)
•
• This passage teaches us not only about the tragic character of Saul, but also about the position of those who were considered to be just hewers of wood and drawers of water. One of our
February Webinars will discuss this chapter in further depth, so stay tuned! For me, the Gibeonites were the first survivors of the Biblical age - do you agree?
• If you missed the webinar about them- just press here- and enjoy the story about them.
• Main phrases of the post + transcription + translation

34. Deuteronomy 20:19
Man and the tree in Hebrew Bible
• Man and the tree in Hebrew BibleIn the Hebrew Bible there are several passages that make comparisons betweenman-‫ם‬ ָ‫ָאד‬ and the tree-
‫ץ‬ֵ‫.ע‬ These passages are classical and many commentaries have been written about them. I will try in a nutshell to take you on a journey
that connects these two important elements in our world; man, who should be the ruler of this world, and the tree, which represents
nature.
• Let's start with the passage upon which several famous poems and songs were written, which deals with actions during war, aswritten:
• "“When you besiege a city a long time, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by swinging
an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down.For is the tree of the field a man,that it should be
besieged by you?"(Deuteronomy 20:19)…
• Many translations suggest that this verse ends with a question mark, but some commentaries suggest that this verse could be also be a
declarative sentence, in which case, the meaning changes. If this sentence is a question, it means that there's a differencebetween man
and the tree, since man is not fighting with the tree. For that reason, the man must not destroy the tree of the field. On the other hand, if
you read the sentence in a different context, so changes the comparison between man and the tree, which suggests that in thesame way
it is forbidden to destroy trees in war, nor should you destroy and kill people, since peace is preferable to war.
• Whenever I teach the fourth course of Biblical Hebrew, I get excited because the first passage that we commence our course with after
some lessons of review is Psalm 1. Let's enjoy the words of this fabulous passage:
• "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,nor stand in the path of sinners,nor sit in the seat of
scoffers!But his delight is in the law of the Lord,and in His law he meditates day and night.He will be like a tree firmly planted by
streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."(Psalms 1:1-3) …
• Here there's similarity between the man and the fruitful tree. The imagery used is of the righteous man being a tree that yields fruit
whose leaves never wither. For that reason, all the actions of the righteous man bring him prosperity and success.
• However, in other texts in the Bible we can see that there's a difference between the man and tree. When Jeremiah wants to discuss
injustice in the world he describes thewicked man as the tree, not the righteous man, reversing the earlier metaphor (see Jeremiah 12:1-
3). As well, Job, when he speaks about the miserable destiny of man in Job 14, uses trees to make a negative point. Man according to Job
14:2 is like a flower that withers, for his life is short; for that reason all he asks is for quiet in his miserable, unchangeable life!
• Let's see what happens to the tree, unlike man, as written:
• "For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will sprout again,and its shoots will not fail. Though its roots grow old in the
ground and its stump dies in the dry soil,at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth sprigs like a plant."(Job14:7-9)… The tree
symbolizes hope; it can come back to life with the help of water, whereas man cannot do the same, unless of course it is suddenly the era
of the resurrection of the dead- ‫ַת‬‫י‬ ִ‫ח‬ ְּ‫ת‬ ‫ים‬ ִ‫ת‬ ֵּ‫מ‬ ַ‫.ה‬
• Of course these passages that I have mentioned are just a few from many; if you know of more passages that discuss the relationship
between man and the tree, you are welcome to comment here!
• Have a blessed week,, Eli

35. www.compass.org, Good Morning Lord,
Compass GML says, Deuteronomy 21:18-21
• Today is October 4, 2012, Verse of the Day -- Malachi 1:6 "A son honors his father, and a
servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master,
where is My respect?" says the Lord of hosts . . .
• THOUGHT FOR THE DAY, God wants us to honor Him.
• MINI BIBLE STUDY FOR THE DAY
• Through the prophet Malachi, God used the analogy of father to son and master to
servant to rhetorically ask, "Since you honor your parents, shouldn't you also honor
me?" The Israelites well understood his meaning. The fifth of the Ten Commandments
states that children are to honor their parents…It was even known that disobedient
children were to be stoned to death…Deuteronomy 21:18-21 The problem at that time
was that the Jewish priests were allowing lame and sick animals to be sacrificed. This
was against God's written command to sacrifice only animals that were "without
blemish."Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them to minister as priests
to Me: take one young bull and two rams without blemish —Exodus 29:1 (See also
Ezekiel 43:22.) Israel had failed to honor God as the priests had been allowing this lack of
respect. Applying this to today, God might say, "You fear/respect man-made authorities,
why not Me?"

36. Deuteronomy 21:23, Hanged On A Tree
• The Crucifixion
• Thursday, June 26th, 2014crucifixion
• Prophecy
• Q. I have a question re the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. I had a short discussion with
someone about it. Could you please let me know if crucifixion was against Jewish law. I know that
the Pharisees wanted Jesus gone, but I have believed not through crucifixion. Would you please
clarify this for me?
• A. I don’t believe crucifixion was against Jewish law, but if they did execute someone that way they
were not allowed to leave him there overnight (Deut. 21:23). Also the prophecies of the Lord’s
death called for crucifixion (Psalm 22:16, Isaiah 53:5).
• Under Roman occupation the Jews didn’t have the authority to execute anyone by any
means. That’s why they brought Jesus to the Romans. Had the Jews been able to execute Jesus
they would probably have stoned Him to death, because that was their method of execution for
someone who committed blasphemy, as they believed Jesus had done.
• DLK adds
• NAU Deuteronomy 21:23 his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree…
• NAU Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us-- for
it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE "--

37. crucifixion, crucified, crucify, hang
The NAU uses “crucifixion” 1 X’s,
“crucified” 34 X’s, “crucify” 17 X’s
37

38. 38