Several things in this reading reached out to me. I believe that, while God is setting an example with individuals for the good of society, He will deal justly (or show love and mercy as is His nature) with the individual. Public punishment or separation from the assembly doesn't translate into personal separation from God or eternal damnation. These societal pronouncements do not eclipse or counter the individual relationship that God craves. And God does make exceptions. He makes rules to show his power by breaking them. He says we will die and then some of us don't -- Enoch. But He is telling us something for our own good. There is a reason we should marry into the faith. It is easier for us to keep our one true love -- Him -- if we surround ourselves with people traveling in the same direction.
Note, it's better to marry an Egyptian than a Moabite. Perhaps the Pharaoh who dealt so justly with Joseph earned some credit with God for generations of Egyptians. Or maybe it's there were so many Egyptian people who did good by their Hebrew slaves. [Deut. 3:3-8]
Speaking of a personal relationship with God, we make such a big deal about how New Testament Christians have direct access to the Father while the Old Testament Jews had to work through the priests and Moses, etc. But look at their personal striving after God with the Nazirite vow and the dedication of people and animals and land and houses. They understood their relationship to things and to God and didn't let things get between them and their Lord. Do we really enjoy a more personal relationship with Him? Or do we just brag about the opportunity?
It does continue to disturb me how much God bows to the culture of the day. Here, with the valuation of men and women, women being valued lower [Lev. 27:1-8]. Later, God will allow for kings and divorce. I'm amazed. Of course, this is in the light of our rage for political correctness today. And in that rage, are we blind to the evils of our own generation that another generation will point to one day and say, "Can you believe that they actually thought and did this?" So I probably shouldn't get overly caught up in things that seem so obviously problematic and wrong now. What sins of my own society and culture and self do I just accept today as the course of things? That God is into real estate and so wants churches to build bigger and bigger barns rather than pool some of His real estate and take care of the widows and fatherless? Shoes of the Fisherman is a great movie.
Ok, I'm not even going to touch the mutilation of gentiles. Except to offer this illustration from the Block Testament.
Finally, this reading closes with a series of things that we are not to join together -- different crops in the same field, ox and donkey, different species or weaves of fabric. [Deut. 22:9-11] I take this as an object lesson that God is holy and pure and we must be holy and pure. Either that or He has a problem with mules and cotton blends.
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